Police have been instructed to take strict legal action against motorists using altered or non-standard vehicle number plates, Deputy Inspector General of Police W.P.J. Senadheera announced on Wednesday.
The DIG in charge of Traffic Management and Road Safety said police have received reports of vehicles operating with modified plates in place of the standard ones issued by the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT).
Registration Delays Creating Loopholes
Senadheera attributed the problem to persistent delays in issuing standard number plates for newly registered vehicles, which he said has created opportunities for illegal practices. Some owners of newly registered vehicles have been found using plates in non-standard colours that do not comply with DMT regulations.
The Inspector General of Police has formally notified the Commissioner General of Motor Traffic to take regulatory steps to address the backlog. Officers have been warned that violators will face strict legal consequences.
The crackdown comes as traffic enforcement has tightened following the Avurudu holiday period, during which police recorded 49 road fatalities in a single week and deployed 8,000 officers for traffic management duties.
