Vehicle, motorcycle number plate fee jacked up

Computerised number plate fee for vehicles increased from Rs1,500 to Rs2,000

RAWALPINDI:

The Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department has suddenly increased the fee of number plates of vehicles and motorcycles, which has caused an outcry among the citizens.

The fee of computerized number plates for all types of vehicles has been increased from Rs1,500 to Rs2,000 while the fee of computerised number plates for motorbikes has been increased from Rs1,000 to Rs1,500.

Transporters and car dealers’ associations have rejected the fee increase. On the other hand, the excise department has failed to issue computerized number plates in the last two years.

Around 180,000 number plates of transporters and citizens of the Rawalpindi district were yet to be issued despite the submission of the challan fee.

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The non-implementation of SOPs in the new registration and transfer has been costing the department millions of rupees on a daily basis while a duplicate copy of a car and a motorbike registration book and lifetime token has been completely abandoned.

The excise and taxation department had started a biometric system for vehicle registration and transfer from January 20, but no SOP has been drafted for this biometric system yet, due to which file work of new registration of vehicles was not being compiled.

All Pakistan Clerks Association Excise and Taxation Department leaders Chaudhry Abu Hurairah, Malik Jamil and Amir Maqsood Butt said that if a proper regime for registration and transfer of vehicles was not put in place, the employees would go on a strike.

The lack of a protocol would make matters worse; they added. They further said if the owner of a vehicle dies or the vehicle belongs to a company, how will it be transferred? matters related to such vehicles are soaring and demanded to immediately suspend the biometric system and restore the old system.

They said that the biometric system should be implemented phase-wise. The abrupt introduction of biometric system is costing the department Rs10 million to Rs300 million per day in each district, they said.

Meanwhile, President of Transport Federation Asif Khan and Azhar Hussain Shah of Car Dealers Association said that “citizens are worried about the non-issuance of computerized number plates for the last two years.

They said that police were issuing challans to vehicles for not having computerised number plates.