Luzhu Police Crack Down on Unlicensed Riders and Falsely Plated Motorcycles

During the National Day long weekend, to maintain road traffic safety and order within its jurisdiction, the Luzhu Precinct of the Taoyuan City Police Department continuously planned and executed high-intensity traffic checkpoints and violation enforcement operations targeting key road sections and accident-prone time periods. While conducting nighttime patrols and checkpoint tasks in the Dagushan area, police officers spotted a suspicious heavy motorcycle and used the police information system for license plate recognition and cross-referencing. After pulling the vehicle over for an inspection, officers were shocked to find that not only had the heavy motorcycle's license plate already been revoked by the motor vehicle supervision authority in accordance with the law, but the rider, a man surnamed Jiang, was also driving without a license and had even mounted a license plate belonging to another vehicle to evade police inspection. Regarding this traffic violation, officers from the Luzhu Precinct issued a citation on the spot in accordance with the provisions of the Road Traffic Management Penalty Act, and simultaneously had the illegally operated heavy motorcycle towed and impounded in accordance with the law to completely eliminate potential safety hazards that could arise from its continued operation on the road.

With the arrival of the National Day long weekend, a large wave of returning travelers and holiday traffic emerged, prompting police agencies across Taiwan to remain on high alert and strengthen traffic diversion and various violation inspections. As a crucial transportation hub, Taoyuan features numerous mountainous roads and scenic spots within its jurisdiction that frequently attract crowds of motorcycle enthusiasts during holidays or at night. Some drivers, wishing to save on regular inspection fees and avoid taxes, or harboring wishful thinking after accumulating driver's license suspensions or revocations due to traffic violations, take the risk of continuing to ride their vehicles on the road. Some even adopt the tactic of "swapping identities" by displaying fake license plates or borrowing and misappropriating plates from other vehicles in an attempt to trick the police into bypassing enforcement. Such behavior not only severely undermines the effective management mechanism of supervision authorities over vehicles and drivers, but also invisibly becomes a major ticking time bomb for road traffic safety, posing a significant threat to the lives and property of other road users.

Regarding this case in which a heavy motorcycle ridden without a license by the man surnamed Jiang was found to have its license revoked and another vehicle's plate attached, the police stated that, according to current regulations of the Road Traffic Management Penalty Act, individuals who drive small passenger cars or motorcycles without a valid driver's license may be subject to a fine ranging from NT$6,000 to NT$24,000, and prohibited from driving on the spot; driving a vehicle whose license has already been revoked on the road will similarly face heavy fines. As for the violation pattern of displaying another vehicle's license plate, it involves illegal and disorderly acts such as using forged, altered, or fraudulently obtained license plates, or lending out license plates for use by other vehicles or driving with another vehicle's plates. According to the law, such offenses are punishable by a fine ranging from NT$3,600 to NT$10,800, and the license plates must be removed and impounded or confiscated on the spot. The police emphasized that the purpose of these heavy penalties is not the punishment itself, but rather to deter wishful thinking through iron-fist enforcement and safeguard the road safety of the general public.

In recent years, the number of heavy motorcycles in Taiwan has continued to grow. With the opening of road rights and the prevalence of leisure culture, the majority of vehicle owners are able to comply with legal regulations and use the roads normally. However, a small minority of unscrupulous individuals or owners, in order to evade the constraints of traffic regulations, purchase fake license plates online or privately borrow and mount plates from scrapped vehicles or other identical models onto the road. When these "ghost vehicles" are involved in traffic accidents or violations, the mismatch between the license plate and the actual vehicle often leaves victims with nowhere to seek compensation or allows the perpetrators to escape, severely impacting social order and judicial justice. Therefore, the National Police Agency and local police departments have listed the "License Plate Cleanup Project" as one of the key items in traffic enforcement in recent years, combining technological enforcement and big data analysis to conduct real-time filtering via smart license plate recognition systems at intersections and on patrol cars, leaving fake license plates or illegal vehicles with nowhere to hide.

The Luzhu Precinct urged citizens to obey traffic regulations when driving vehicles on the road, cautioning them not to harbor wishful thinking by driving without a license, using revoked or canceled license plates, or mounting license plates belonging to other vehicles. The police will continue to strengthen checkpoints and inspections targeting major thoroughfares, tourist attractions, and accident-prone road sections within their jurisdiction during both long weekends and normal days, demonstrating their determination to maintain traffic order. This violation case uncovered in Dagushan once again highlights the sharpness of frontline police officers and the importance of implementing duty assignments. The police also reminded vehicle owners that if a vehicle's license plate is revoked for any reason, it should be returned to the motor vehicle supervision authority and properly handled according to regulations. Citizens must not defy the law, lest their vehicles be towed and impounded, while also facing heavy financial fines and subsequent legal liabilities.

Fact source: Central News Agency