Introduction:
The Delhi Transport Department’s order for motorists to affix high-security registration plate (HSRP) and color-coded stickers to their cars has created a buzz in the national capital. The Transport Department was going to carry out a compliance action against vehicles that do not have high-security registration plates but have now been put on hold.
High-Security Registration Plate (HSRP) is a highly protected number plate designed to create a consistent pattern of registration marks across the country. And even though this provision has been in place since last year, it has not been strictly implemented by state governments for a variety of reasons, including the unavailability of HSRP. However, the decision of the Delhi Transport Department to implement it has led to a sharp rise in the number of people applying for high-security number plates in the capital.
Similarly, car consumers in other areas of the world are also running to government-approved dealers to substitute their vehicle’s number plate with HSRP. But what is HSRP, and why has the central government made it mandatory in that country? HSRP plates are made of aluminum with special features aside from the registration number. The plates have a seven-digit unique laser code, a chromium-based hologram to deter forgery, a self-destructive sticker with the engine and vehicle chassis numbers, IND ‘inscribed in blue, with India inscribed at a 45-degree angle in a hot stamping foil over all letters and numbers on the plate. Last but not least; it has a non-removable and non-reusable snap lock.
On 8 April 2011, the Supreme Court of India brought the vehicle secretaries of Delhi, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh for disdain of court procedures concerning the nonenforcement of the high-security enrollment plates.[1]The Supreme Court on 30 November 2004, had explained that all states needed to agree to the scheme. Currently, all of North East including Assam, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Karnataka, Andaman and Nicobar Islands (UT), and Goa are the primary states which have gone along in full. The conditions of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Maharashtra have not continued in the wake of having called tenders. Besides these states, a portion of different states has likewise made a move to actualize the new scheme.
Haryana and Punjab have dispatched the High-Security Registration Plates Scheme in the state. High-Security Registration Plates have been made required for all new and old vehicles.
SC Notices to Officials
The Supreme Court on April 7th year 2011 issued contempt notices to Delhi, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh governments for their failure to implement its order on tamper-proof number plates and licenses for vehicles saying obedience to its direction is necessary for judicial integrity.
Taking strong exception to the disobedience of its ruling on the part of the states and union territories, a bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia directed the officials to be personally present before it to explain why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them. The bench for the time being left officials of 10 other states, which also failed to take any step in implementing its direction, and directed them to file an affidavit as otherwise contempt proceedings would also be initiated against them and “exemplary” cost imposed on them.
“We direct Secretary, Transport/Commissioner, State Transport Authority of these states to be present in this court on the next date of hearing and show cause why the court should not initiate proceedings against them under the provisions of the Contempt of Courts Act,” the bench said. “The irresistible and only conclusion that can be drawn from the facts on record and the above circumstances is that it is intentional disobedience of the orders of the court by the concerned authorities in the respective states. The obedience of orders of this court is necessary for preserving the integrity of this constitutional institution,” the bench said.
Out of 35 states and union territories, only Sikkim, Meghalaya, and Goa have fully implemented the scheme of high-security number plates, and licenses and 13 have not taken any step in that direction, and the rest of them have taken preliminary steps in implementing the court’s order.
The court passed the order on a petition filed by Chairman of All-India Anti-Terrorist Front M S Bitta seeking the court’s direction to introduce tamper-proof number plates and licenses for vehicles, contending that the present system is prone to misuse by anti-social elements. He claimed that despite repeated orders from the apex court, the state governments have failed to introduce the scheme. Agreeing with the petitioner, the court said states should take immediate steps to implement the scheme. “It is not only desirable but an essential requirement of law that the concerned authorities/executive should carry out their statutory functions and comply with the orders of the court within the stipulated time,” the court said. The court also pointed out that the Centre had issued a notification in 2001 and the apex court in its various orders has repeatedly asked the authorities to implement the scheme, but they have failed.[2]
Need for HSRP
The government of India changed Rule 50 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989 to normalize the structure and way in which enlistment numbers are shown the nation over. The current methodology was discovered to be loaded with flaws, notable amongst them being:
- The ordinary public, without any normalization and trying to customize the plates paints the enlistment marks in any extravagant composition, any size, with bothersome monograms, and so forth.
- Tampering with enlistment plates is simple, whereby hoodlums effectively supplant plates. This likewise energizes thefts and street-based wrongdoings.
- Deceptive/extravagant registration plates additionally make a great deal of bother in the ID of vehicles in street-based violations, street rage, and quick in and out cases.
- Under the current framework, all records are materially put away in the Regional Transport Offices/District Transport Offices, which makes it extremely hard to pull out records whenever needed on a pressing premise. With the execution of the HSRP plot, all documents relating to vehicle proprietors alongside the enlistment numbers will be digitized accordingly empowering in the making of a National storehouse of records.
- In the current framework, enlistment plates are fitted by the side of the road merchants, which raises issues about variety in the nature of the Registration Plates. With normalization, the nature of these plates would likewise improve hugely in this way driving in an expanded life expectancy of the item.
Fitting vehicles with HSRPs has been under consideration since 1989. But the implementation process has gained traction only now after the Supreme Court cracked the whip on state governments over repeated delays. The regular registration plates can be easily tampered with, making car thefts easy. Fancy number plates also make it challenging to track down lawbreakers on the run. HSRPs are tamper-proof and non-replaceable, which could prove to be a deterrent to car thieves. It will also aid in creating computerized, national data of motor vehicles – which currently is not the case as the records are created and maintained manually.
In India, right now, the information identified with all the vehicles, bicycles, and trucks are taken care of physically, which brings about disparities. HSRPs will help in making a public information base of all motor vehicles in the nation. Thus, on the off chance that you want to purchase another vehicle, request that the seller give you an HSRP and check for all the highlights referenced previously. In the event that you effectively own a vehicle or cruiser, connect with your seller and get your HSRP as ahead of schedule as could reasonably be expected. It would help if you likewise got vehicle protection or bike protection for your vehicle or bicycle, separately, to remain ensured against motor vehicle-related crises. It will assist with handling unexpected costs, on the off chance that your vehicle stalls or you meet with an accident.[3]
Cost of HSRP
A set of HSRP plates for four-wheelers cost Rs. 334 and for two-wheelers Rs. 111. Commercial vehicle owners need to shell out Rs. 134 while Heavy Commercial Vehicles are required to pay Rs. 258 (including taxes). The plates also come with a minimum guarantee of five years. Vehicles sold in India after April 2019 come with high-security number plates from the dealer’s end and the cost of HSRP is included in the price of the vehicle. But for the vehicles sold before April 2019, vehicle owners will have to contact automobile dealerships or government authorized HSRP vendors and pay a marginal amount to obtain a high-security registration plate. [4]
Disadvantages of HSRP
While the benefits of high-security registration plates cannot be argued with, there are some inconveniences with their use. Here’s a list of likely problems with HSRPs:
Windshield Replacement
Since HSRPs accompany a sealed holographic sticker that must be stuck on the windscreen of the vehicle, any time the windshield must be supplanted, you should visit the RTO once more. The RTO should check the vehicle and afterward re-issue a holographic sticker for it.
Accidental Damage
If you are involved in an accident that has destroyed the number plate, you will need to contact the RTO to get a fresh number plate released and re-assembled. This phase could cause you a few days of inconvenience.
Bumper Removal
Since HSRPs accompany snap-bolts that can be utilized just once it very well may be poorly arranged in certain vehicles. For certain cars, eliminating the guard for any maintenance or administration work requires getting to nuts or fasteners that are regularly situated behind the number plate of the vehicle, and need the number plate to be taken out. In such a case, the plate will sever, and the number plate and snap-locks should be re-issued by the RTO.
Out-station Registered Cars
Cars that have been enrolled will have a big problem having high-security number plates. For example, if someone with a KA-01 (Karnataka, Bangalore) registered vehicle has come to Delhi for a short time, he can’t get his HSRP done in Delhi right now. The vehicle should be driven to the RTO in Bangalore to make the HSRP.
The cycle of supplying high-security identification plates for out-of-station vehicles has not yet been fully contemplated. The RTO says it aims to interface all of the nation’s employers in a focal web knowledge base. This has not yet happened, though. Furthermore, regardless of when this occurs, there is also little lucidity as to how out-of-station vehicles should be issued with another enrolment plate when it is placed under the purview of another RTO. That part of the loop is yet to happen.
Conclusion
Following the suspension of the decision on the HSRP, limitations on vehicle-related jobs in the Regional Transport Office (RTO) were initiated. These works include the issue of health certificates, certification, change of address, no objection certificate, renewal of registration, renewal of permits, provisional permits, special permits, national permits In cars and heavy vehicles, the sticker on the window of the glass holding the safety seal is part of the high-security number plate used in this sticker. When the number plate of the car needs to be changed, the sticker can also be changed. However, the number plate can be substituted on its own in two-wheelers. The sticker on the glass is known to be the third registration point. In the event that something is not present in a car, a lawsuit can be filed. It is the duty of the car dealer to repair the high-security number plate on the vehicle. In conclusion, while in the drawn-out HSRPs are certainly going to diminish burglary and cut down the crime percentage, it will make a great deal of bother vehicle proprietors for the time being.
References:
[1] Vehicle registration plates of India. (2005, February 4). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved December 6, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plates_of_India
[2]High-security number plates: SC notices to officials. (11, 1). https://www.outlookindia.com/. https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/high-security-number-plates-sc-notices-to-officials/717963
[3] All you need to know about high-security registration plate and colour-coded stickers. (2020, October 8). DNA India. https://www.dnaindia.com/india.
[4] Anand, R. (2020, September 28). What is high security registration plate (HSRP) and its benefits. Latest News India: Breaking News Headlines Today, Business, Cricket, Videos, Photos. https://www.timesnownews.com/auto/features/article/what-is-high-security-registration-plate-hsrp-and-its-benefits/659251
Other Sources:
- (n.d.). https://www.outlookindia.com/. https://www.outlookindia.com/
- (2002, January 26). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved December 6, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/
- (2020, August 20). CarToq – India’s #1 auto content site. https://www.cartoq.com/
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