The Punjab Safe City Authority has stepped up action against vehicles using fake, cloned, tampered or concealed number plates, deploying AI powered cameras capable of automatically detecting suspicious registrations across the province. According to a Safe City Authority spokesperson, the advanced camera system can identify number plates that have been altered or hidden using tape, cloth or other methods intended to obscure a vehicle’s registration details.
Once the system detects a suspicious plate, it automatically generates an alert, with relevant vehicle details immediately shared with the nearest field force so that action can be taken without delay. This automated detection and alert process is designed to reduce the time between identifying a violation and enforcement action reaching the vehicle in question, allowing field teams to respond more quickly than they could through manual monitoring alone.
Safe City data shows that more than 100 fake, cloned and suspicious vehicles were intercepted in July alone with the help of the AI based camera system, giving an early indication of how frequently number plate violations are occurring across the areas covered by the authority’s surveillance network. The scale of interceptions in just one month suggests the issue remains fairly widespread despite existing regulations governing vehicle registration and plate authenticity.
The authority has warned motorists that using a fake or tampered number plate can result in both a traffic fine and the registration of a criminal case, reflecting a more serious enforcement stance than routine traffic violations typically carry. The spokesperson added that hiding an original number plate, covering it with tape or cloth, or altering its numbers is illegal, and said violators will face legal action without discrimination, reinforcing that the crackdown will apply uniformly regardless of the vehicle owner’s background or status.
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