The Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department of Punjab has removed the requirement to inspect official number plates on vehicles and motorcycles and to issue fines on this basis.

 

In a notification, the department said that members of the public will no longer face penalties from traffic police related to this issue.

 

The department clarified that it has stopped manufacturing official number plates at the time of vehicle and motorcycle registration. With hundreds of thousands of plates currently pending, vehicle owners are now permitted to have number plates produced independently from the open market, provided they conform strictly to the government-approved design.

 

Traffic police have subsequently been directed to stop issuing challans or imposing fines concerning number plates on vehicles and motorcycles, effective immediately from Saturday.

 

The notification further explained that officers may only verify whether a number plate is affixed in the prescribed manner, rather than insisting on an original government-issued plate.

 

The Excise Department has formally discontinued the production of official number plates and has also stopped collecting any related fees.