There is uproar in Lagos as the state government officials clamp down on motorists driving vehicles with faded number plates.
The development came weeks after the Lagos State government declared that it is illegal and punishable to drive vehicles with faded number plates, and directed its relevant officials to impound such vehicles.
But motorists have condemned the state government for the action, claiming that the faded number plates are products of substandard production.
They, therefore, called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the House of Assembly to probe the Lagos State Motor Vehicle Administration Authority and the Lagos State Number Plate Production Authority for dishing out substandard products to the public.
Many motorists claimed that with the avalanche of faded number plates on vehicles across the state, the government and its agencies could not be exonerated from the abnormality.
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They asked the government and its agencies to take a critical look at the quality control mechanism put in place for the production and procurement of the number plates. The motorists said they should not be held responsible for poorly produced number plates that faded over a period of time.
Meanwhile, across the state, Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) and the police, who often mount checkpoints to verify vehicle documents, have started to feast on motorists, especially owners of private vehicles with faded number plates, by either issuing them a fine or extorting them.
This is usually followed with the additional instruction to go and replace the number plate that most times is procured at the price of a new one.
While intimating Lagos residents about the illegality of driving with faded number plates, the state government had in a statement on August 27 blamed motorists for the speedy fading of the plates.
In the statement, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Abdulhafiz Toriola, implored motorists to change the liquid soap they use to wash their vehicles.
Toriola declared that covering of number plate without authorization, use of faded number plate, use of damaged number plate, misuse of number plate and non-use of number plate, all violate the law and would not be acceptable especially with the present security challenges facing the nation.