The Punjab Excise Department is making big changes to how it issues computerized number plates for vehicles. This decision comes after many complaints from people and struggles faced by officials. Even though the department has collected fees from about three million vehicle owners in the past three years, there have still been long delays in getting number plates.
To fix this, the provincial cabinet has agreed to shake things up. They’re getting rid of the government’s control over making number plates. Instead, they’re allowing different companies and organizations to join in, making it more open.
With this new system, people won’t have to pay fees for new computerized number plates anymore. This change is meant to make registering vehicles easier and less expensive for owners.
Faisal Fareed, the Excise Director General, is leading the charge on these changes. He has ordered the immediate stop of collecting fees for new or duplicate number plates.
This new open system is expected to bring in competition among private companies involved. This competition could mean savings for vehicle owners, up to Rs500 compared to what they pay the government.
But, there’s still a challenge. There are millions of pending number plates waiting to be issued because of past problems. Even though there have been efforts to modernize the system before, they’ve faced issues, especially with fee disagreements.
