The government introduced High-Security Number Plates (HSNP) with an aim to have tamper-proof vehicle numbering. The city’s plate-makers, however, have dented such efforts as they replicate with ease the plates, complete with the security hologram!
While plate-makers can only make look-alikes, they have managed to copy the model well, which they claim is a ‘flop show’ by the government.
The copycat number plates cost more than the original ones owing to use of aluminium in the replicas. The vehicle’s number is pressed and then black stickers are used to make the look-alike, as against a painted number on HSNP.
“Many people having old vehicles come to us and ask us about the HSNP, and since it is not available for old vehicles, they ask us for the same models. Also, the ones we make are better, since we use stickers, which do not fall off from the plates,” said Manish (name changed), who works at a private number-plate shop at Panjagutta.
‘Nothing illegal’
Avinash Singh (name changed), who runs a number-plate shop at Secunderabad, mentioned that all rules were being followed, and nothing ‘illegal’ was being done.
“We are not making fancy number plates now but are simply going by whatever is going to be the standard in future,” he said.
Many private number-plate shop owners charge Rs.350 up to Rs. 400 for front and rear plates, while HSNP costs just Rs.249 for the same. Similar is the case with cars, with copies being a few hundred rupees costlier than the HSNP price of Rs.649.
When contacted, a senior RTA official clarified that “it is not necessary for old vehicles to have HSNP”. Linc Autotech Ltd., a Delhi-based company, which makes the HSNP numbers, takes about 15-20 days to get the number plates for a new vehicle, he stated.
Online process
The senior official added that the RTA had in fact told the State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) and Linc Autotech Ltd., that it was ready to take the process online to speed things up, but there was no response from them.
“Once it gets easier to get HSNP, then old vehicle owners will come forward, and we can do something,” he said.
