PPA Creates Tools to Help Monitor ‘Ghost Cars’

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There have been an influx of cars traveling throughout the city, with an obscured, or even non-existent, view of their license plates or VIN number. These vehicles have been popularly identified as ‘Ghost Cars’.

The Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) has created a form for local residents to fill out if they encounter any of these vehicles on the street or illegally parked in their driveways. The form allows residents who witness these happenings to inform the PPA of the offenders make, model, and color of the car, where it was located, the time of day, and there’s also a space to leave photo-proof if you captured an image of the vehicle.

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Sources say, over the past week, more than 30 cars with unidentifiable license plates or concealed VIN numbers have been towed in the Philadelphia area. PPA took to social media to warn residents of the aggressive effort to remove ‘ghost cars’ on the streets. “The Word is Out: If you park on a public street, your vehicle MUST display a valid license plate. Period.” The parking authority tweeted.

Local officials assumed the reason that drivers are concealing this information so it is not picked up by red light cameras or speed traps as they drive through traffic. Others believe this problem has been of recent issue due to the Driving Equality Act, which cracks down on traffic stops that promote racial discrimination including: relocation of license plates, relocation of temporary registration, and late registration.

With this legislation giving lead-way to drivers behind on their registration appointments, Isaiah Thomas, city councilmen and creator of the Driving Equality Act, says that officers should still be able to crack down on ‘Ghost Cars’”Nothing in the legislation says that someone cannot be pulled over for having a fake tag, a ‘ghost tag’ or a license plate that’s covered,” the Democrat said. “All we allow is for the license plate to be relocated as long as it’s clearly visible.

PPA Creates Tools to Help Monitor ‘Ghost Cars’  was originally published on rnbphilly.com