# Safe City cameras flag fake and covered number plates as Punjab cracks down across 43 cities

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/auto/safe-city-cameras-flag-fake-and-covered-number-plates-as-punjab-cracks-down)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 21 Oct 2026
Updated: 21 Oct 2026
Retrieved: 25 Oct 2026

> Cars with cloned, altered or taped-over plates are being traced and their drivers booked. What to do if your registration number turns up on someone else's car.

**The Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) has started a province-wide crackdown on fake, cloned and tampered vehicle number plates, using cameras in 43 Safe City districts to flag suspicious cars and send police after them**, [ProPakistani reported](https://propakistani.pk/2026/10/20/punjab-launches-crackdown-on-fake-and-tampered-number-plates/). Several vehicles have already been traced and stopped in Lahore and other cities, and cases have been registered against the people using the plates.

## What gets you caught

The PSCA says it has a zero-tolerance policy on concealing number plates or altering registration numbers. The cameras are looking for:

- **fake or cloned plates**, such as a number copied from another vehicle;
- **altered plates**, with digits changed, stickered or painted over;
- **covered plates**, hidden behind tape, cloth, a bike carrier or anything else.

When a camera flags a plate, the alert goes to the Safe City control room, which passes it to the nearest police team.

## If your number is on someone else's car

If you get an e-challan for a place you never drove, or spot your registration number on another vehicle, call **Police Helpline 15** and report it, the PSCA says. Keep a photo of your registration book and your own plates, and contest the e-challan through the Punjab e-challan system with the evidence. A cloned plate can land you with another driver's fines, so it is worth checking your challans regularly.

## Stay on the right side of the rules

Use only the original, approved plates issued with your registration, and make sure they match your registration record. If you have bought a used car, confirm the plate matches the registration book before you pay; our [vehicle transfer fee calculator](/tools/cars/vehicle-transfer-fee-calculator) shows what the transfer itself costs and the [token tax calculator](/tools/cars/token-tax-calculator) what you owe each year. More road and traffic news is on our [auto desk](/news/auto).

## Frequently asked questions

**What should I do if someone is using my car's number plate?**

Call Police Helpline 15 to report it, keep a copy of your registration book, and contest any e-challan issued for the other vehicle with evidence.

## Sources

- Punjab Launches Crackdown on Fake and Tampered Number Plates (20 Oct 2026) (ProPakistani): https://propakistani.pk/2026/10/20/punjab-launches-crackdown-on-fake-and-tampered-number-plates/

How to cite: "Safe City cameras flag fake and covered number plates as Punjab cracks down across 43 cities", Searchable, 21 Oct 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/auto/safe-city-cameras-flag-fake-and-covered-number-plates-as-punjab-cracks-down