Seized vehicle papers, ID cards to be dumped
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A large number of registration papers, identity cards, route permits and driving licences of motorcycles and light and heavy vehicles, which were seized over the years for traffic violations, have piled up in the offices of traffic magistrates owing to the non-existence of a viable mechanism for disposing of such challans.
Sources said that Rawalpindi district traffic magistrates have decided to dump of unattended documents of the motorists seized by the traffic police.
The record to be put to destruction include national identity cards, vehicle registration papers, route permits and other related documents that road users must hold.
Sources said that a large number of motorcyclists and drivers do not collect the confiscated identity cards, licences and vehicle papers and, as a result, challans keep piling up in offices of area magistrates.
The sources said that the number of unattended identity cards, driving licences, route permits and registration books has exceeded one million across the Rawalpindi district.
The sources said that the authorities concerned have started considering disposing of the backlog of the last 15 years.
The sources said that the traffic magistrate offices have unattended ID cars and registration books as old as 2007.
Because of the backlog, the government is also losing revenue. According to traffic circles, at the time of challan of motorcyclists, identity cards of violators were seized and up to Rs500 challan is issued.
All identity cards, vehicle boxes and route permits seized by traffic police are kept at the police collection centre for one week. After a week, the unattended record is to the respective magistrates.
When the challan arrives at the magistrate's office, the fine amount doubles automatically.
The sources said that most drivers and motorcyclists keep a duplicate identity card instead of depositing the original challan at the magistrate's office. Similarly, instead of paying a fine, vehicle drivers make a duplicate copy of the registration book and continue to drive without the original papers.
Clerks in magistrate offices said that the record was undesirable and it took most of the space of the record rooms.
They said that they have suggested to the authorities that the NADRA should be requested to block the identity card of the people who do not collect their seized papers for two months. They said that blocking the ID cards will compel drivers to collect the seized papers and deposit the fine. They said that this will also help increase the revenue of the government.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 21st, 2022.