Police step up action as vehicles sans number plates ply Hubballi roads

HUBBALLI: Traffic police in Hubballi have registered over 100 cases against vehicles operating without number plates recently, amid growing concern over motorists openly removing registration plates to evade fines.Raveesh CR, DCP (crime and traffic), said action against vehicles without number plates has begun alongside checks on vehicles with tampered plates. "Instructions have been issued to all officials to register FIRs against vehicles without number plates," he said. "Recently, over 100 cases were registered against vehicles without number plates, apart from cases related to tampered number plates."Residents say the trend reflects a breakdown in road discipline and enforcement. What was earlier tampering with registration numbers has now become more blatant, with vehicles plying city roads without number plates.Number plates serve as a vehicle's primary identity, helping authorities trace ownership, detect offenders and investigate accidents. Vehicles without plates make it difficult for traffic police and surveillance systems to identify violators, residents said, encouraging reckless driving, repeat offences and possible criminal misuse.Many people opined that the growing presence of such vehicles raises questions about the effectiveness of enforcement. They said the confidence with which motorists remove number plates and continue using public roads indicates a weakening fear of punishment and undermines the authority of the law.The issue also poses risks to public safety. In hit-and-run cases, theft and rash driving, unidentified vehicles delay investigation and justice. "Strict and visible enforcement is therefore essential. Traffic police must conduct special drives, seize vehicles without number plates, impose heavy penalties and ensure repeat offenders face stronger legal action," he added.Mounesh Kumar, a resident of Navangar, said public awareness was equally important. "People must understand that removing or tampering with number plates is itself a punishable offence and not a clever way to avoid fines. It is a direct challenge to law and order," he said, urging authorities to act firmly before the practice becomes normalised.