Motorists who registered their vehicles more than two years ago will have to change the existing number plates of their bikes, cars, and other vehicles. According to senior officials, the State government is in the process of making the installation of High-Security Registration Plates (HSRP) mandatory for all vehicles.
As per the Transport Department’s data, 2.10 crore vehicles were registered till March 2019, of which 80.49 lakh were registered in Bengaluru alone.
Vehicle owners will have to pay out of their own pockets to replace the number plates.
The rule for installing HSRPs is already applicable for vehicles registered after April 1, 2019. The State government had initiated the implementation of HSRP in 2010-11. However, the tender process was embroiled in various controversies and the matter also reached the courts.
The government has already cancelled a tender it had floated in 2013 for the installation of HSRPs, and the Transport Department is in the process of issuing a fresh tender. After selecting the agency to install the new registration plates as per the specifications fixed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the government is likely to give motorists a two-year window to replace the old registration plates.
Anjum Parvez, Principal Secretary to the Transport Department, confirmed the developments and said, “Vehicles registered after April 1, 2019 are fitted with HSRPs. The installation of HSRPs has to be done for vehicles registered prior to that, and we are in the process of floating a tender.”
HSRPs have several features such as a chromium-based hologram with a chakra in blue colour (of size 20 mm x 20 mm) on the top left-hand corner in the front and rear end of the vehicle, and a permanent identification number of a minimum of 10 digits on the bottom left-hand side. A ‘hot stamping film’ technique will be applied to bear the inscription ‘INDIA’ on the letters and numerals of the licence number.
A senior official working with the Transport Department said that HSRPs have various security features that cannot be tampered with. “The new registration plates are reflective and are clearly visible at night, while the permanent identification numbers help us know how many vehicles are actually plying on the road. There will be uniformity in the number plates. Now one can see cars displaying number plates of different sizes, writing names, and other such elements. These things will not be there in the future.”
The official added that the rates for installation of the new registration plates would be known after the competitive bidding.
