By Ishmael Dumbuya
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has warned against the habitual and rampant illegal covering of vehicle number plates by members of the public,including government officials.
The ministry stated that the act of covering the number plates of vehicles is an offence as stipulated in the Road Traffic Act 2007.
“It must be noted that the covering of number plates has far-reaching safety and security implications, which shouldn’t be entertained, as the country gears up for the multi-tier national elections,” the ministry states.
In their concluding statement, they admonished vehicle owners and drivers that the law makes it mandatory for vehicle number plates to be conspicuously displayed at all times, adding that failure to do so is tantamount to arrest and prosecution by the police.
Meanwhile, the ministry has therefore advised all ministers, deputy ministers, and other government officials who used customized number plates to contact the Sierra Leone Safety Authority (SLRSA), for their running vehicle number plates in the event they do not wish to use the customized vehicle number plates.
It has been rumored that some ill-motived vehicle owners are in the act of illegally covering up their vehicle number plates whenever they intend on engaging in illicit acts, thereby making it very difficult to modify and identify the owners and bearers of those plates.
