Missing law enforcement: Unregistered motorcycles

Thousands of motorcycles can be seen plying the congested roads of Karachi daily and common amongst a significant number is the lack of registration plates, which puts a question mark on the performance of the city’s traffic police.

Since most of the city’s street criminals rely on motorcycles to get away, the police’s disregard for a lack of registration plates further exacerbates the problem.

Moreover, in cases of road accidents involving motorcyclists, it is hard for law enforcement individuals to identify the victims if their bikes are not registered properly.

Given the issues that unregistered motorcycles cause, The Express Tribune asked Mohammad Shahid, a bike dealer based in the city, about the apparent disinterest in registering motorbikes.

“Most people just prefer open letters instead of a proper registration. The seller and buyer draw up a sale and purchase agreement, which some motorcyclists consider is enough legal compliance to escape the ire of law enforcement,” Shahid explained, adding that most buyers never go to the Excise and Taxation Department to get the bike transferred into their own name.

Another dealer, Imran, was of the view that it was the cost associated with registering motorcycles that deterred people.

“A majority of bikers are from poor backgrounds, who cannot afford to pay the registration fees. Therefore, they just rely on the sale and purchase agreement.”

However, Syed Laeeq Ali, a bike dealer in the northern part of the city, feels that by treating registration as a needless expense, motorcyclists just invite trouble.

“For instance, if the motorbike is stolen, it is difficult to register a report in the police station without proper documents. Furthermore, the stolen bikes can be used to commit crimes,” he informed.

Ali’s assessment holds weight as more than 50,000 motorcycles are stolen every year in Karachi, according to the records of the Citizen Police Liaison Committee (CPLC).

According to CPLC data, 5,050 incidents of theft and snatching of motorcycles were recorded in November of 2022 alone.

Apart from not being able to register FIRs for stolen bikes, Jameel Ahmad, who also sells bikes, pointed out that without a registration if motorcyclists get into an accident it gets hard to identify them for the police.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Traffic, Karachi, Ahmad Nawaz Cheema, when asked about traffic laws regarding registration of motorcycles, said that it is mandatory for bikers to carry original documents, driving license, and national identity card with them.

Cheema further said that those who do not comply are fined heavily.

As far as the registration process is concerned, Cheema informed that registration, transfer and documents are dealt with by the Motor Vehicle Registration Department and they take action according to their rules.

Deputy Director of the Motor Registration Wing of the Excise Department, Saeed Memon, when asked about the prevalence of unregistered motorcycles in Karachi and the police’s inattention to the issue, said that the traffic police does take action and the Excise Department supports them.

“A 15-day campaign is conducted every three months in a year. People driving motorcycles on sale receipts are requested to get the bikes in their name, otherwise, they will face legal action,” Memon told The Express Tribune.