‘Backlog of 1.7m vehicle number plates’

LAHORE :Punjab Secretary for Excise & Taxation Wajihullah Kundi on Friday told the Lahore High Court that there was a backlog of 1.7 million computerised number plates and 530,000 smart cards.

Mr Kundi said the tender for manufacturing of new computerised licence plates was cancelled due to depreciation of rupee against dollar. Now a project was in progress for the manufacturing of the licence plates with the assistance of ministry of defence production, he added. Responding to queries of Chief Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh, the secretary said it could take six months to start production of the plates after an approval of the tender from the provincial cabinet. He said that traffic police had already been advised not to issue fine tickets to commuters for unavailability of authorised computerised number plates. Mr Kundi told the court that amendment was being introduced to motor vehicles rules to legalise e-challan by Punjab Safe City Authority.