The Maharashtra government on Friday extended the deadline for vehicles to get high-security registration plates (HSRP) fitted by August 15, warning of strict action against violators, reported news agency PTI.
This is the third time the state transport commissioner has extended the deadline for fixing HSRPs on vehicles registered before April 1, 2019, reported PTI.
The deadline was first extended from March 31 to April end and later to the end of June.
As per the transport department`s estimates, Maharashtra has 2.10 crore old vehicles registered before April 1, 2019. However, only 23 lakh were fitted with HSRPs in the last six months, reported PTI.
The transport commissioner`s office, in a release, said failure to comply with the extended deadline would result in enforcement action from August 16.
“After this date, enforcement squads will take action against vehicles without HSRPs. However, vehicles with a valid appointment booked before August 15, will not face any action,” the release stated, reported PTI.
Vehicle owners are advised to book an appointment for HSRP installation on the transport department`s website, https://transport.maharashtra.gov.in, it stated.
The transport department has appointed three companies after a prolonged tendering process to fix HSRPs to 2.10 crore vehicles out of a vehicle population of more than 4 crore.
The department started the HSRP process in December 2024 and gave vehicle owners four months to fit HSRPs, setting a deadline of March 31.
Nearly 10 lakh new vehicles have hit roads in Maharashtra in the last five years without the mandatory high-security registration plates (HSRPs), as per officials, reported news agency PTI.
The government has made HSRPs mandatory for vehicles registered before April 1, 2019, to curb vehicle theft and bring uniformity in identification, placing the onus on manufacturers to install them before handing the vehicles to customers, reported PTI.
An internal review conducted recently on the fitment of HSRPs in the newly registered vehicles indicated that 1.05 crore out of 1.15 crore vehicles (registered after April 1, 2019) have been fitted with HSRPs, while 9.98 lakh vehicles are plying without them, officials said.
(With inputs from PTI)
