Out-of-state number plates  vehicles creating a nuisance on Jammu roads

Vehicles with out-of-state number plates especially Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana is  creating a nuisance on Jammu roads, despite  number of complaints against these vehicles by residents the Jammu and Kashmir Traffic Police, the J&K Police have found no detail or record with the Transport Commissioner, J&K or RTOs of the districts of such vehicles, as they are  openly  violating traffic  rules and  poses security risks  with out of state number plates. As per norms all out of state vehicles  should be registered with the RTO  of concerned district in J&K and provide details like the vehicle’s registration number and location to assist the authorities in identifying and taking action against the offending vehicles.  It  s illegal to drive a vehicle registered in some other state than your current state, for e.g., driving a car registered in UP with out registeration with the RTOs of concerned state where you are  presenting staying.  It is illegal,  if you are moving permanently to  J&K you need to  registered with same number plates to RTOs  every year. It is observed that Vehicles with out-of-state plates createing nuisance and raise security concerns in Jammu by potentially operating without proper registration, avoiding local taxes, and aiding in criminal activities due to masked identities. J&K’s Motor Vehicles Act mandates re-registration after 12 months, but enforcement is often inconsistent, leading to illegal plying and revenue loss for the state. The issue is exacerbated by the risk of these vehicles being used by anti-social elements and the difficulty in tracking them without valid local registration.  Many people are raising question  on Why out-of-state plates are a Problem  in J&K. Since Jammu and Kashmir is disturbing Union Territory , there is every possibility miscreants, kidnappers, and anti-national elements can exploit the lack of local identity to commit crimes and evade identification, posing a significant security threat in a sensitive region like Jammu and Kashmir. Ohter main reason is the vehicles operating on local roads without re-registering are not paying the required road tax and other commercial taxes to the J&K exchequer, leading to substantial revenue loss for the state.  The prevalence of these vehicles, especially  private and commercial ones, can be a symptom of illegal operations, as many vehicles operating fraudulently on Jammu roads since 2019. As per legal Framework and Enforcement issues it is mandatory re-register  vehicle  as per The Central Motor Vehicles Act, Section 47, states that vehicles kept in a different state for over 12 months must be re-registered in that state.  This orders have been issued for mandatory re-registration, implementation remains a challenge  as Transport Department, Jammu and Kashmir have no record of such vehicles. The primary concern is the potential misuse of these vehicles for illegal activities and their role in undermining law and order.  J&K police and traffic police  must conduct aggressive drives to check for non-compliant vehicles. According to section 39 of the Act, vehicles must be registered in the state or UT where they are primarily used. However, no  record of outside vehicles plying on Srinagar, Jammu roads found with Transport Department, Govt of Jammu and Kashmir.  Hundreds of  Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat based vehicles are plying on J&K Roads without paying road tax and other taxes.  J&K Police say a vehicle with non-J&K registration  is  was used in attacks on security forces. After vehicles with a non-J&K registration number was allegedly used by militants in  carrying attack on  security Forces  in J&K. The J&K administration has made it mandatory for non-J&K vehicle owners to apply for a fresh registration number in the UT. Such vehicle owners will also have to pay road tax as per the remaining number of plying years of the vehicle. One of the reasons why vehicles from outside J&K ply in the UT is that people prefer to buy pre-owned vehicles since they are cheaper. It has been observed that considerable number of  vehicles registered outside Jammu & Kashmir (from adjoining States of  Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi etc  have been purchased by the residents of the Jammu and Kashmir and are being plied across the Jammu & Kashmir unauthorizedly, without having been registered with the concerned Registering Authorities (RTOs/ARTOs), in contravention to the explicit provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.” Another problem is vehicles creating a nuisance on Jammu roads include those with unauthorized modifications like loud pressure horns, oversized tires, and tinted windows, which violate the Motor Vehicles Act, and those that cause congestion due to illegal parking. In response to these issues, Jammu authorities have intensified crackdowns, seizing modified vehicles, banning the sale of illegal accessories, and implementing strict penalties for offenders.