HSRP deadline: No punitive action from today

As the deadline for fixing High-Security Registration Plates (HSRP) ended on September 15, the Transport Department is yet to decide on its next course of action. However, unlike announced earlier, there would be no enforcement action on the streets starting Monday.

As the deadline for fixing High-Security Registration Plates (HSRP) ended on September 15, the Transport Department is yet to decide on its next course of action. However, unlike announced earlier, there would be no enforcement action on the streets starting Monday.

Previously, the department had planned to impose fines starting September 16, with ₹500 for first-time offenders without HSRP and ₹1,000 for repeat offenders. However, a transport department official said on Sunday that no decision had yet been made regarding fines or deadline extension, as the issue is pending in court. Until then, no punitive action will be taken against motorists, officials confirmed.

Transport Department officials stated they would decide whether to extend the deadline for the implementation of HSRP plates after a related matter is heard in the Karnataka High Court on September 18. According to the Transport Department, while 52 lakh vehicles in Karnataka have already complied with the mandate, a significant 1.4 crore vehicles are still without the required HSRP plates.

In August 2023, the Transport Department issued a notification mandating the installation of HSRP for vehicles registered before April 1, 2019. Initially, the deadline was set for November 17, 2023. However, the slow compliance rate led to multiple extensions. The current deadline is the fourth extension by the department.

The Karnataka High Court is hearing writ petitions challenging the Transport Department’s notification, which requires vehicles registered before April 1, 2019, to be equipped with HSRPs. The HSRP Manufacturers’ Association of India filed an appeal against the government’s notification, which allows only vehicle manufacturers to install HSRPs on older vehicles.

The association argues that all manufacturers with a valid Type Approval Certificate should be permitted to install HSRPs on older vehicles. They claim that limiting the installation to manufacturers selected by vehicle makers favours “influential” HSRP manufacturers who already have agreements with automobile companies and their dealers to supply HSRPs for new vehicles.