Offenders try to beat tech, cover number plates to avoid traffic fines

A total of 3,68,361 cases have been booked against defective registration number plates until November 30 

As the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) strengthen digital enforcement using hi-tech cameras that capture number plates, drivers who break rules are getting creative with as some of them covering half of their number plates with paint/plastic tapes and stickers.

Over the last few weeks, many social media users have posted pictures of such offenders from different parts of the city. , including Malleswaram and Jayanagar. Most of these vehicles had helmetless riders or pillion riders. “I usually take pictures and upload it to the public eye platform when I notice traffic violations on roads. Lately, I have seen people covering their number plates, especially college students. This helps them escape fines. The BTP should find a way to stop this”, said Prashanth Kumar (name changed), a resident of Uttarahalli.

When asked what will be done to tackle this problem, Special Commissioner (Traffic), M.A. Saleem said, “The Indian Motor Vehicles (IMV) Act is very clear on this. Whenever we notice number plates with any kind of defects, we book cases against them. In fact, we have been very tough on these people to a large extent. At junctions, where our traffic officers are present, such vehicles are immediately caught.”

“Now that we have cameras in place, it is easier to detect such plates,” said Mr. Saleem. “There is a standard on how the number plates should be, and everyone should adhere to these norms. If they are not adhering, they will be caught and prosecuted.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Kuldeep Kumar Jain, DCP (Traffic), West, said the BTP is closely watching such offenders and penalising them. In the last week, 10 such vehicles have been identified and fined, he said.

Despite repeated awareness programmes conducted by both the BTP and the Transport Department, the problem of defective number plates with wrong fonts, organisation names, stickers, emblems, and pictures are rampant in the city. According to statistics available on the BTP website, 3,68,361 cases have been booked against defective registration number plates until November 30, this year. While a total of 2,53,425 cases were booked for the same in the lockdown year of 2020, 4,56,521 cases were booked in the previous year.