MOSCOW, November 6 (Itar-Tass) - Moscow's administration will punish drivers disguising licence plate numbers in a bid to avoid city centre parking charges, motorists have been warned.

"We will take off the disguise from plate numbers and fine drivers who do not let us control the situation and fulfill our tasks," Moscow Deputy Mayor Maxim Liksutov told a news briefing at Itar-Tass on Wednesday. "There are different ways to prevent such offences," he said.

The city administration had established a road inspectorate which had taken over a number of functions previously performed by the Interior Ministry, Liksutov said. These included control of parking and decisions on removing vehicles. "We have been vested with broad powers, but it will take some time to employ personnel, which we will do in the shortest possible time," Liksutov said.

"Not all the cars left in parking areas in violation of the rules will be evacuated," Liksutov said. " Any talk about total evacuation is wrong. There will be no total evacuation in the city," he added. When illegally parked vehicles were removed, sanctions would be taken, above all, against drivers leaving vehicles on zebra crossings, at public transport stops or inside corridors marked for public transport.

Asked how heavy cross-country vehicles would be removed, Liksutov said five carriers for up to 60 tonnes would go into service. These could accommodate heavy-duty vehicles with trailers, and big enough even for buses, he added.