Number Plates and Licence Crackdown for South African Motorists

Cape Town's Metro Police have been taking decisive action against unlicenced drivers, unlicenced vehicles and drivers who fail to display legal number plates on their vehicles. This action is part of a wider effort to curb traffic offences and improve road safety in the city.

In the first half of 2008, police reported over 35,000 unlicenced drivers on the roads. It is believed that the high figure is influenced partly by the long waiting lists for driving tests and the fact that so much employment depends upon the ability to drive a vehicle.

During one three-month period, the Metro Police recorded 39,000 traffic-related offences. Of those, 1,200 were offences involving defective or false number plates. Over 700 fines were issued for these number plates offences in the first three weeks of August alone. Officials said that cars found on the road without legal registration plates would be taken away and impounded.

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