Bengaluru: Lakhs of vehicles registered in Karnataka before April 1, 2019, will likely an additional two months to affix High Security Registration Plates (HSRPs).
According to Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, the Transport Department is considering extending the deadline by two months and has sought legal opinion from the Advocate General. A final decision will be made on Thursday, he told DH.
On Wednesday, the High Court of Karnataka adjourned the hearing on a batch of petitions filed by the HSRP Manufacturers' Association of India and others until November 20.
These petitions have challenged the department's mandate that eligible vehicles affix the HSRPs only through OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and their authorised dealers. The petitioners argue that all licensed number plate manufacturers having Type Approval Certificates (TACs) should also be permitted to affix the plates.
Reddy asserted that the state government followed the union government's guidelines by allowing vehicle owners to choose from any of the 14 companies authorised to affix HSRPs.
Speaking to DH, Yogeesh A M, Commissioner for Transport and Road Safety, declined to comment on deadline extension, stating that no final decision had been made.
The HSRP affixation process for old vehicles began on August 18, 2023, a day after the department issued a notification and set a three-month deadline for compliance. The deadline was subsequently extended four times. September 15, 2024, was the latest.
So far, just over 50 lakh of the 2 crore eligible vehicles have affixed the HSRPs. Vehicles registered after April 1, 2019, get the HSRP by default.
While the department initially warned of fines for non-compliance, it later informed the court that it would not take any "precipitative action" against defaulters.
What is an HSRP?
An HSRP is an aluminium plate with a hot-stamped chromium-based hologram containing Ashoka Chakra and a laser-engraved 12-digit alphanumeric permanent identification number linked to vehicle details on the Vahan portal. It is affixed at the front and the back with two snap rivets that cannot be removed or reused.
The HSRP requirement is aimed at identifying all vehicles plying on roads, reducing vehicle-borne crimes and preventing tampering with or counterfeiting of number plates.