High-Security Registration Plates (HSRP) have been made mandatory for all vehicles registered before April 1, 2019, following an advisory from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
However, so far, only 3.5 lakh vehicle owners have installed HSRP out of 25 lakh. Meanwhile, vehicle owners have alleged that the delay is due to the unavailability of number plates on time.
Out of nearly 25 lakh vehicles in the Pune region, only 3,50,571 vehicles have installed HSRP plates as of June 25, across all types of vehicles. Additionally, 4,98,023 vehicles are currently in the queue for appointments, waiting for plate installation.
The low number of completed installations has raised concerns about the lack of fitment centres, technical issues in the appointment system, and overall inefficiency in the RTO process.
“I booked an appointment online three times, but it has not succeeded yet due to technical issues. Additionally, the number of fitment centres is low, leading to a long queue of vehicles,” said Rajesh Kapre, a two-wheeler vehicle owner.
Amol Sharma, a four-wheeler owner, highlighted, “Plates take too long to arrive, but the police are quick to fine us. With time running out and lakhs of vehicles still pending installation, the transport department needs to speed up the process, increase fitment capacity, and resolve appointment issues.”
Swapnil Bhosale, Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO), speaking to The Free Press Journal, said, “The deadline for the installation of HSRP number plates has been extended and is now set for August 15. If a vehicle owner is facing technical issues, they can report it to the RTO help desk. We urge all vehicle owners to install the HSRP number plate. It is mandatory.”
