LAHORE: A Punjab Assembly standing committee on Tuesday approved amendments to the excise and taxation bill aimed at modernising the vehicle registration system in the province.

The amendments form a part of phase II of the `Transport Sahulat Programme` and included the Automotive Registration Card (ARC), re-registration of out-ofprovince vehicles and change in the ownership of vehicle number plates (whereby the plate will belong to the owner instead of the vehicle).

The bill provides for penalty for fabrication of number plates, and mal
It facilitates citizens to attain a `data embedded card` as a replacement for the existing paper-based vehicle registration book.

TheAutomativeRegistration Card (ARC) will include real-time information of the owners including name and nationality, and their vehicles.

In case of traffic violations, law enforcement agencies will be able to track down and confiscate vehicles with the help of information available on the ARC.

The bill makes it necessary to re-register vehicles transferred to Punjab from other provinces.

It replaces ownership of vehicle number plates from vehicles to their owners.

This will lead to holding the actual owner of the vehicles responsible for any traffic violations.

Officials said the bill cleared by the standing committee was likely to be passed in the Punjab Assembly session scheduled to be held on Oct 14.