Transport department likely to extend deadline for installing HSRP number plates

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Owing to the lukewarm response to the mandatory installation of High-Security Registration Plates (HSRP) in vehicles, the state transport department is likely to extend the deadline in order to encourage vehicle owners to convert their old registration number plates.

As per an order issued by the transport authorities in August, the vehicle owners across the state were asked to get HSRP number plates installed on their vehicles by November 17 this year.

However due to lack of awareness and various other issues, only a fewer number of registration plates have been sought by the vehicle owners. "Very few people who own old/existing vehicles have placed requests for the HSRP number plates during September," an official from the transport department told New Trail.

Authorised private vehicle showrooms in Bengaluru said that most vehicle owners are hesitant about installing HSRP number plates.

"So far we have not received any instructions from the transport department regarding the HSRP number plates being mandated for old vehicles. However we are still contacting our customers and asking them to get these number plates for their vehicles based on the directions given by our company," said a two-wheeler showroom manager in Kamakshipalya.

An official from the transport department said that HSRP number plates cannot be removed once fixed, it has to be broken as they are fixed using revits, thereby eliminating any scope for the exchange of number plates.

By extending the deadline further, the transport department is now planning a wide-scale publicity before mandating the HSRP number plate.

It is worth noting that several citizens had taken the matter to the court arguing against permitting only the HSRP manufacturers authorised by the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) to fix the number plates.