With rampant misuse of government labels or ‘G’ stickers or ‘police’ or ‘advocate’ or ‘press and media’ on number plates of private vehicles, the city has launched a special drive to crack down on those vehicles, and booked cases against 1,892 motor vehicle owners in the city over the last two months.
The police said as per Section 50 and 51 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, the number plate should be displayed both at the front and the rear of all motor vehicles clearly and legibly in the specified format. The inscribing or affixing of other words, symbols or pictures on the number plates is prohibited.
A senior police officer said: “Recently, following a series of complaints on the rampant use of stickers such as ‘G’, ‘government’, ‘police’, ‘advocate’, ‘human rights commission’ and ‘press & media’, City Police Commissioner Shankar Jiwal had ordered the inspectors of law and order and traffic wings in their respective jurisdictions to take appropriate action against violators. The special teams under the inspectors have been taking action against those who violate the rules.”
In continuation of their efforts, a special team seized an SUV bearing A.P. registration number in New Washermanpet since it had an additional plate with the words ‘Social Justice for World Human Rights Council, District Chairman, Chittoor’. The police said that the car owner, S. Suresh, of Tirupati, was found to be not part of any recognised organisation as claimed by him. The police have registered a case against him, and seized the vehicle.
Similarly, the police seized an SUV bearing a number plate saying ‘National Anti Crime and H R Council of India, Joint Secretary’ in the Neelankarai police station limits and it owner G. Vijayakumar, of Kottivakkam, has been booked.
The crackdown will continue and action would be taken against those violating the rules, and driving with fictitious and defective number plates, the official added.