'Sorry, hired vehicles can't have number plate-attached govt board'

Just a few minutes after Senior Motor Vehicle Inspector P R Desai issued notice to the driver of a rented Tata Sumo which has the board 'South-Western Railway' attached to its number plate, and took steps to detain the vehicle, an RPF constable rushed to the spot, and tried to convince Mr Desai.

"Sorry. Rented vehicles cannot have the board of the respective government agency or officer, attached to its number plate. Moreover, road tax and permit of that vehicle have also expired. Please visit the Regional Transport Office (RTO) at Gabbur Cross, pay the penalty, and get the vehicle released," Mr Desai told the RPF constable.

Just before this, a car hired by the regional PF commissioner's office was stopped in front of the IT Park, its driver was asked to remove the defective number plate as it had a board, and a notice was issued to him asking him to submit documents before the RTO and pay the fine within seven days.

The driver called a PF officer and gave the mobile phone to Mr Desai. "Sorry sir, we are just implementing the rules. Hired vehicles cannot have such boards, and only a temporary board can be displayed from inside the windshield, during official movement," Mr Desai replied over the phone.

Such were the common scenes when the RTO (Dharwad East) launched its two-day drive against defective number plates here on Thursday.

Vehicles hired by Commercial Tax Department, Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL), and other government agencies were also stopped, and notices were issued for using defective number plates (attached with boards).

Vehicle of a corporator was also stopped, and as it was a private vehicle, its diver was just warned to remove the board attached with the number plate.

Yellow board vehicles

"At present, we are focusing on commercial vehicles (yellow board) rented out to government agencies. Only government vehicles registered in the name of government agencies or officials can use such boards attached to the number plate. With such boards on hired vehicles, drivers or others can misuse when the vehicle was not being used for government service," Mr Desai said.

Rs 600 is the fine amount for defective number plate. If other documents are also not correct, it may reach Rs 2,000. If no reply is received within seven days, the fine amount would increase, he added.

25 vehicles caught

Till evening, the RTO staff issued notice for defective number plates and nonpayment of tax to 24 vehicles, while one vehicle was detained.

In two teams, the drive was conducted on Karwar Road, near IT Park, and on Lamington Road, on rotation basis, as an effort to prevent drivers of erring vehicles from skipping the checking.

Regional Transport Officer (Dharwad East) Appayya Nalatwadmath has noted that having such a defective number plate is illegal, as per the central motor vehicle rules 1989, and the drive would continue on Friday (January 12) also.

Having names and slogans in big size letters on vehicle number plates is also illegal. The dive to conduct such violations would be conducted regularly, and it would focus on two-wheelers in the next phase, the RTO officials added.