KUWAIT CITY, Dec 6: A collision between two vehicles, a vanette without plates and a car driven by a citizen on the Fahaheel Road yesterday brought to the fore the issue of vehicles without plates again, raising the need for stricter measures to protect people from reckless drivers.

In this context, a citizen documented the collision involving a driver of a pickup truck without both numbers plate -- rear and front -- on the Fahaheel Expressway and then fleeing, endangering the lives of others. As the citizen was registering a case at Fahd Al-Ahmad police station, the detectives were assigned to arrest the suspect, the authorities are paying more attention not only to the issue of number plates but also the front and rear window shades, saying these vehicles are increasing in number every day, without the slightest regard for the law, despite the great efforts exerted by the security men.

Al-Seyassah has learned that strict instructions were issued by the senior leadership in the Ministry of Interior to stop any vehicle that does not have front and rear metal plates or those vehicles with tinted windshields in violation of the law and to impound it immediately and refer it to the ministry garage and take the necessary measures against the violator. The source pointed out that the General Traffic Department seized about 330 vehicles last week alone, including vehicles with tinted windows that violated the law. The source pointed out that a circular was issued by the Director of Technical Inspection about two months ago stressing the necessity of not inspecting vehicles whose license plate number is damaged and not visible clearly.

The circular stated that if the vehicle owner has a letter from the Public Security Directorate “to replace a lost metal plate or traffic signs, the manufacturer of the metal plates is then requested to issue a replacement plate, and the vehicle is then inspected.” A security source explained to Al-Seyassah that Article 207 of Executive Regulation No. 81 of 1976 of Traffic Law No. 67 of 1876 allows the seizure of a motor vehicle or car of any type if it is caught driving on the road without plates, or with a single or illegible plate, or something is obstructing its vision, or it carries plates not issued by the General Traffic Department.

By Munaif Naif
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff