Indore (Madhya Pradesh): With the deadline for getting the High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) ending today (Monday), the Regional Transport Office (RTO) has planned to launch a checking drive in the district and to take action against vehicles running sans the mandatory plate. “There are about 4-5 lakh vehicles in the district which don’t have the HSRP. The extended deadline for HSRP is expiring on January 15 and we have already appealed to the people to get the plates at the earliest,” Regional Transport Officer Pradeep Sharma said. He added that a fine of Rs 500 will be slapped on vehicles sans HSRP.

However, people who have applied for the plates and waiting for the plates to be fitted would be exempted from the fine. Meanwhile, the RTO officials again got a request from dealers to extend the time for the same as they have received requests for HSRP and many of them are pending. The dealers have informed the officials that due to the rise in demand, it is taking over 15 days to provide the plates to vehicle owners.

“We learnt that dealers are taking a time of 15 days to prepare the HSRP for which they have appealed to the department to extend the deadline or to give some relaxation. The decision will be taken by senior officials,” Sharma said. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has made it mandatory for all vehicle owners to fix a high-security registration plate (HSRP) and colour-coded plate on their vehicles that have been sold before April 2019. The fine for not affixing HSRP plate on a vehicle can range from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000.

Bus Owners Association demands extension

President of Prime Route Bus Owners Association Govind Sharma dashed off a letter to additional transport commissioner demanding extension for fitting HSRP at least by two months. He said that lakhs of vehicles in the state are running without HSRP including large number of buses. “It will take at least 2-3 months time to get the HSRP fitted in these vehicles as the dealers are taking over 15 days time to deliver the plates due to surge in demand,” Sharma said.