50 vehicles have been impounded for plate number related offences in the past seven days by the FEDERAL ROAD SAFETY CORPS in Anambra state.
Mr. Sunday Ajayi, the new Sector Commander of the corps in the state, told reporters in Awka on Friday that the corps had discovered that vehicle owners were now in the habit of using one plate number for more than one vehicles.
Ajayi who led a team of safety officers on a patrol on plate number sensitization tagged “Strategic Intelligence Patrol Operations,” said using a plate number that was not registered with the vehicle bearing it was an offence.
He said some criminals had used fake number plates in the past to commit crime and misled security agents trailing them.
Ajayi noted that about 50 offenders had been apprehended since last week when the campaign began.
The commander further said that exercise was not only to punish offenders but to educate government authorities and private vehicle owners on the need to comply with rules of vehicle registration.
“The purpose of this patrol exercise is to check security and safety on our highways, and since we started we found out that most drivers and vehicle owners use one plate number for more than one vehicle, others use private numbers for commercial vehicles .
“Others use government numbers for private vehicles, all this means is that when crime is committed, plate number cannot give the correct information, so we are creating the awareness so that people will understand the importance of using duly registered vehicles for their own safety and those of other members of the society.”
The Special assistant to Gov Willie Obaino on Special Duties, Mr. Uzoechina Chris, who witnessed the exercise praised the FRSC for ensuring that government registration numbers were not abused.
Uzoechina added that the Obiano administration was always ready to collaborate with the FRSC to make the roads in the state safe.