After much delay, the Transport Department will shortly be issuing a notification for fixing High Security Number Plates (HSNP) for vehicles.
The notification, official sources said, would give out all the details pertaining to the date of implementation, rate for fixing the HSNP for two-wheelers and four-wheelers.
“The government has to formally take a decision and once it is done, the notification will be issued, hopefully in a week,” said a senior official of the department.
Tamper-proof
HSNP, with advanced security features, are tamper-proof and cannot be replaced and will have an individual code number. All these features would help in curbing vehicle thefts or misuse by anti-social elements, officials claim.
There are over 1.50 crore vehicles in the State. To begin with, HSNP would be made mandatory for new vehicles and under phased manner, the existing vehicle owners would have to fix them, the official explained.
The notification for fixing HSNP was to be issued last year and the Supreme Court too had issued notices to the Transport Department over the delay in implementing the orders.
Nodal agency
The government had appointed APSRTC as a nodal agency and it had called four separate tenders for manufacture of plates, sourcing of equipment, supply of consumables, retro-reflective tapes etc.
However, these tenders were cancelled after some manufacturers moved the Supreme Court, questioning the process.
HSNP would be manufactured at the RTC workshop at Miyapur and from there they would be distributed to different RTA offices.
Chromium hologram
After the RTA officials give a registration number for a vehicle, the chromium hologram based HSNP would be fitted with snap-lock screws and embossed with reflective registration number at the RTA office, explained a senior RTC official.
Now, in tune with the Transport Department, RTC officials too are taking measures to commence the fixing of HSNP for vehicles.
Last week, a team of RTC officials visited a few Regional Transport Authority (RTA) offices in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts to identify some place there for setting up the equipment.