Mumbai : Many States in India are yet to implement the Scheme of +High Security Registration Plates (HSRP)+ for vehicles, which would highlight ‘road safety for commuters, security of citizens and the nation’s safety,’ according to Dr Kamaljeet Singh Soi, Member of National Road Safety Council and founder-member, Raahat (The Safe Community Foundation).
The Government of India had, in March 2001, issued a notification under provisions of section 41(6) of the Motor Vehicles Act. 1988, and introduced a new Scheme regulating issuance and affixation of HSR plates, he stated, adding that with Supreme Court intervention, several States had implemented this scheme from 2021.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had issued Gazette Notification and S.O. in December 2018 making the HSR plates mandatory on all vehicles sold on or after April 1, 2019.
However, a few States including Maharashtra – which is the financial hub of India and has 2.0 crore vehicles– are yet to finalise and commence using the HSR plates.
Dr Soi told media here recently that the Maharashtra Government had floated a tender for selection of HSRP suppliers several times but failed to draw any bids, even as the tender published on August 28, 2023 “is still live.”
In fact, the Maharashtra Government had extended the last date for this tender bid submission several times in the last 5 months, he said, adding that no State Government in the country has been able to implement the HSRP scheme by selecting a supplier through tender process in the last 8-9 years.
However, some States including the latest being Karnataka have been implementing this Scheme through the OEM dealer network which has multiple OEM-authorised HSRP suppliers, rather than one single supplier through the tender process, he said.
Dr Soi appealed to the Maharashtra Government to ‘immediately adopt the OEM channel to implement the HSRP scheme on old vehicles in the State.’
Noting that the HSRP scheme has a direct correlation to national security with objective of safety and security of vehicles, he said Maharashtra had witnessed attacks in the past by terrorists and other anti-national and “it will not be wise to wait for another one to happen.”
