Reckless riders tamper with number plates to avoid CCTV cameras

Sowmya Raju & Hameed Ashraf | NT

Bengaluru: The Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) has reported a recent surge in the number of two-wheeler riders tampering with their vehicle's number plates in an attempt to evade detection by CCTV cameras.

"While some of the vehicle owners are using faulty registration number plates, we found a few motorists have deliberately tampered, covered the plates or have simply bent a part of it to avoid getting caught by the police," a senior traffic police told News Trail.

The BTP has taken a proactive stance on addressing this issue and is intensifying patrols in areas where number plate tampering is prevalent.

They are also collaborating with CCTV operators to identify and apprehend riders who engage in such practices. As per the official, the motivation behind these actions is to avoid fines.

For instance, many motorcyclists in the city neglect to wear helmets and resort to concealing their vehicle numbers using masks or paint to evade detection.

The police have recently apprehended numerous individuals for bending their vehicle registration number plates. In the current year, the police have recorded more than 62,546 cases against vehicle owners for using defective registration number plates within the city.

The BTP has also filed charges against several riders for tampering with their number plates, which is considered a serious offense. Offenders can face fines of up to Rs 5,000 and/or imprisonment for up to six months, especially for repeat offenders.

The Bengaluru Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic, MN Anuchet, emphasised that they are actively promoting awareness and consistently pursuing legal action against violators.

Furthermore, they plan to initiate a special campaign to curb these violations in the near future. To monitor traffic violations effectively, the police have already implemented an Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) at 50 critical junctions across the city.

These high-end cameras capture instances of traffic violations, and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras are deployed at various locations.

In coordination with the transport department, the ANPR system maintains a database of vehicles with outstanding penalties. When a vehicle passes through a junction equipped with an ANPR camera, the system sends photographs of the license plate to police officers' smartphones, allowing them to identify offending vehicles.

Section 191 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, explicitly prohibits any alteration, forging, or possession, selling, or use of a motor vehicle with a forged or altered registration mark.

Violators can face legal consequences under this section.