HYDERABAD: The time taken to fix a new high-security registration plate (HSRP) to a new vehicle at the road transport offices (RTOs) in the city is so slow that new vehicle owners are avoiding the RTOs and approaching private establishments instead to get their number plates printed and fixed. The situation has grown to such an extent wherein piles of number plates are lying unclaimed at the RTOs.
The problem is basically due to the delay in the procedure as there is only one counter for fixing number plates to new vehicles in each of the RTOs. Worse, it is open only for three hours between 2 pm and 5 pm on a working day.
Serpentine queues are the common sight at these counters and many people return without fixing their HSRPs. A frequent complaint of new vehicle owners is that there is only one counter despite the heavy rush. The HSRP is fixed at five RTOs of the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) and an average of 1,000 such plates are being fixed to new vehicles in the city everyday.
V Bhaskar Reddy, a new vehicle owner, said at the Khairatabad RTO that even though he could have the car registered, the fixing of HSRP became very tedious.“Though I have received an SMS intimating me the date for installation of HSRP, officials here say that the number plate has not been received by them and it may take two or three days more,” Reddy said and wondered how the RTA could send contradictory messages to vehicle owners and officials on the availability of number plates.
“For installation of a number plate we have to waste a whole day at RTO office. Instead, we can visit a private shop to get the number printed and get it fixed,” said Reddy.When contacted, P Durga Prasad, Regional Transport Officer at Khairatabad, said, “There is no chance of high security registration plates (HSRP) missing from the RTO office. Every day 150 to 200 new vehicle owners are getting number plates fixed at the Khairatabad head office.”
He added: “If the vehicle owners aren’t getting time for installation of number plates from their busy schedules on weekdays, they can get them on Sundays between 10am and 5pm at RTO offices in the city.”