An SUV with 55 pending tickets totalling ₹1.22 lakh for breaking traffic rules was traced on Tuesday after a video allegedly showing the vehicle using a button-operated device to conceal its registration number on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway went viral on social media. Officials said the vehicle owner was fined ₹4,500 for concealing the registration number.
Regional Transport Officer Sandesh Chavan said they found the vehicle was registered in Pimpri-Chinchwad after the video of the vehicle concealing its registration went viral. “The vehicle owner had installed a concealer with wiring to cover the number plate.”
The action came amid growing concerns over the use of such devices to evade CCTV-based traffic enforcement and identification of vehicles involved in traffic violations or accidents.
The video of the SUV purportedly showed a black frame moving over the registration plate, concealing the number. Officials said they examined the mechanism installed near the registration plate and found it could be operated through a button, allowing the number plate to be concealed.
The 55 pending traffic tickets raised questions over repeated violations and enforcement. Number plates are central to traffic surveillance and enforcement systems. Cameras installed on highways and major roads are used to identify vehicles involved in overspeeding and other traffic violations.
A concealed registration makes it difficult for enforcement agencies to identify a vehicle through CCTV footage, particularly if it is involved in an accident, a hit-and-run case, or another offence.
{{/usCountry}}A concealed registration makes it difficult for enforcement agencies to identify a vehicle through CCTV footage, particularly if it is involved in an accident, a hit-and-run case, or another offence.
{{/usCountry}}The Pune-Mumbai Expressway, one of the busiest, is extensively monitored through surveillance systems because of frequent accidents and violations such as overspeeding and dangerous driving.