High security number plate initiative remains in limbo

​Hyderabad: It has been mandatory for vehicles registered after 2013 to install High Security Number Plates, however the authorities are yet to implement the rule strictly. Several vehicle owners continue to install fancy plates illegally, while some dare the officials carrying plates sans any numbers.

There are stories of replication of number plates; reportedly an incident occurred even with the Chief Minister’s car number plate, and yet the rules are not being imposed. According to reports, there has been an increase in cases of improper number plates. In January 4,249 cases were registered, whereas 5657 vehicles were booked for improper number plates in May.

“Presently traffic police are not imposing any challans for not having secure number plates since the case is pending in Supreme Court (SC). A time frame was given to the government by SC to replace the old number plates, which are not yet being looked after by the RTA,” said an official from the traffic police who wished to be anonymous.

Till then the business of decorative radium number plate designers would continue to flourish. One of the radium workers at Ring Road, Syed Mohiuddin said, “Road Transport Authority (RTA) is killing our business by providing cheap quality number plates.

Many customers come to me with a broken number plate.” Most of the customers come to us with the SMS of number plates to get them printed, we get them printed within no time, government number plate takes a week to be printed.”