Hotman Siregar – The Jakarta Transportation Agency's ongoing war on illegal parking accelerated on Wednesday as parking officers announced the latest weapon aimed at punishing parking scofflaws: confiscating license plates.

The agency has struggled to curb illegal parking on the capital's congested streets, prompting transportation agent to rely on increasingly unusual measures. Transportation officers began deflating the tires of illegally parked cars in September in the hopes that disabling the vehicle would teach the driver a lesson. The practice, instead, inspired a new cottage industry in Jakarta. Portable tire pumps are now a common fixture in many cars, agency head M. Akbar said on Wednesday.

"They bring their own pump and valve," Akbar said. "That is what drives us to keep on innovating to curb illegal parking."

The city responded by raising the stakes. Unrepentant motorists will now have their vehicle's license plates confiscated. The plates will be returned after the driver pays a fine, Akbar said.

The transportation agency has removed 206 plates since Tuesday, focusing on illegally parked vehicles in highly congested areas like Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, and Cideng, West Jakarta.

Drivers must visit the nearest police station to pay a fine and then head to the Jakarta Transportation Agency's office to reclaim the license plates – a daunting task on the city's congested streets and without a licensed vehicle. The fines can reach Rp 500,000 ($43), Akbar said.