Damak, May 11:

The Jhapa District Traffic Police Office (DTPO) has prohibited plying of unregistered vehicles with ‘on test’ written in place of number plates in the district. The Jhapa DTPO has also sent letters to automobile dealers not to sell vehicles without registering the vehicles first.

The inspector at Jhapa DTPO Dhan Prasad Shiwakoti said letters have been sent to all major automobile dealers of the district regarding the matter. He added that the measure was taken, as there is less possibility of finding such unregistered vehicles in case of theft and also it is easier for such vehicles to abscond in case of an accident. Saying that plying of vehicles without number plates was against traffic rules, Shiwakoti said, “The dealers may sell vehicles without registration. However, such vehicles cannot be plied on roads with ‘on test’ written in place of number plates from now on.”

However, automobile dealers said there was need of reform in the working approach of government agencies. Sangam Sharma of Bajaj Showroom in Damak said, “The agency concerned for the registration of vehicles and issuing registration numbers should provide prompt services.”

Jhapa DTPO began taking action against those plying vehicles without registration numbers for the past one week. The traffic police has seized 22 motorcycles without number plates in Birtamod few days ago.

Meanwhile, activists of CPN-Maoist are seen plying vehicles without number plates freely. They ply their vehicles with plates that mention their division name and number. SI of Area Traffic Police Office in Damak Roshan Singh said no action has been taken against the Maoists using such vehicles. “We have requested the Maoists’ first division headquarters not to ply such vehicles but they haven’t stopped doing so.”