Installing nearly 2,000 high security registration plates (HSRP) per day as against the registration of about 1,500 new vehicles daily, the company installing these new number plates exudes confidence that it will soon be able to cover the backlog of around 40,000 plates.
“The problem has worsened during the festival season due to a sudden spurt in the sale of vehicles. We are confident that by the time the season gets over we will be able to fulfil our commitment of providing the HSRPs within six days of the demand for them for any given vehicle,” says U. R. Kapoor, Managing Director of Rosmerta Technologies, the sole contractor for installation of HSRPs in the Capital.
“We have installed about 1 lakh HSRPs since April 30 this year when the scheme began in Delhi and have about 50,000 HSRPs ready with us for installation. But the issue is that vehicle buyers were earlier not coming forward on time to get them installed. There was also a delay in many cases on part of the dealers in applying for these plates and prior to the festival season their sales were low and they did not come to us regularly with the new details. At times the delay extended to up to a fortnight at their end,” he says.
A reason for this, Mr. Kapoor adds, is that earlier the dealers were charging between Rs. 600 and Rs. 1,000 for the number plates from the customers while they were spending about Rs. 100 to Rs. 200 only for procuring them. But in the case of the new plates, the rate is Rs. 213 for the package of two HSRPs and the laser-made sticker which is pasted on the windshield and bears the engine and chassis numbers. So the incentive for them to pursue the cases is low.
A major cause for the pile-up in pending cases was also that in the HSRPs, which are now being installed in over 20 States across India, the registration and chassis numbers are also entered on to the windshield stickers through laser technology. Due to this the HSRPs can only be affixed at the designated centres and not in the showrooms of the dealers.
“Even the two main HSRPs are made with specialised technology using German machines. The plates are embossed and possess holograms and other security features. They are also affixed to the vehicle with rivets through a machine so that they cannot be replaced. These are features which have been incorporated to prevent theft and duplication,” says Mr. Kapoor.
Due to this, it is essential that once a person buys a vehicle he visits his Regional Transport Office at least once: that too if the dealer goes and makes the Rs. 213 payment on his behalf. This is also mandated by the Motor Vehicle (New High Security Registration Plates {HSRP}) Order, 2001. There are 14 RTOs in Delhi and a HSRP affixation centre each has been opened with all of these. “These centres remain open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and work all seven days a week. We are even operating them on holidays to cater to the rush,” said Mr. Kapoor.
As per government directions, all newly-registered vehicles are to be affixed with HSRP in the first phase. Subsequently the old and existing vehicles will be covered.
The HSRPs are made of 1 mm thick aluminium and have a retro-reflective sheet. They also possess a chromium-based hologram, an India-inscripted hot stamping foil; unique laser code of minimum seven digits (for Delhi the series began with AA); embossed registration number; self-destructive wind shield sticker and a non-reusable snap lock.
