The Delhi traffic police department is rethinking its plan to challan owners of newly registered vehicles who have not got a high security number plate (HSNP) installed. Last week, Delhi traffic police department had made an announcement that new vehicle buyers who don’t get HSNP installed within seven days would be fined Rs 2000.
“As on date, we are not sure about issuing challan to people without HSNP,” said Satyandra Garg, Joint Commisioner of Police, traffic branch. Garg said that there is an inventory of 70,000 number plates of newly registered vehicles pending installation in the capital as vehicle owners did not come to collect the number plates. After the traffic police department made the announcement that newly registered vehicles who do not have HSNP installed will be fined starting October 1, there was a large rush at all the 13 transport department offices in the city.
Every day, an average of 700-800 vehicles got HSNP installed per day, after the announcement of fine, this has gone up to 2100. But even then, it is hardly possible that so many pending number plates be installed in three days. Garg added, “In the coming two days, a meeting would be held between the traffic police and transport department officials to prepare a road map for implementing the HSNP rule. An announcement on the fine would be made.”
The transport department has made it mandatory to install HSNP from May 1 this year. Since then, a total of 1.6 lakh vehicles were registered in the Capital since May this year. Out of which 70,000 have not got HSNP installed. More than 1200 new vehicles are registered in the capital each day, transport department officials said.
According to the transport department, The cost of a two wheeler HSNP is Rs 68.91 while that of a four wheeler is Rs 119.43. In case of commercial vehicles the cost is Rs 86 for a rickshaw and Rs 220 for trucks, vans and other commercial vehicles
The HSNP number plate is imperishable for at least five years. The plate bears the letter ‘IND’ in blue colour on the extreme left centre of the plate. It is protected against counterfeiting by applying a chromium based hologram, applied by hot stamping. Stickers and adhesive labels are not applied. Apart from a number plate chromium based hologram sticker is affixed on left hand top side of the wind shield of the vehicle. Details like the registration number, registering authority are printed on the sticker.
But implementation of the HSNP rule would take a years as in addition to the 1200 new vehicles registered each day, there are 70 lakh vehicles in the capital which have been registered prior to May 1, 2012, before the HSNP rule was enforced. These include 20 lakh cars, 23 lakh motor cycles and 20 lakh scooters. The problem would be compounded as near about 40 vehicles are stolen in the Capital each day. In 2011 alone more than 14,668 vehicles were stolen, which included 5000 cars and 9000 motorcycles.
-Sunday Standard