Cuttack: The Odisha government has made the tamper-proof high-security registration plates (HSRPs) mandatory for all classes of old vehicles that were registered before April 2019. The HSRP on old vehicles will be affixed by vehicle manufacturers through their authorised dealers only to control and check the substandard material, the State Transport Authority (STA) said Monday.
The deadline for affixing HSRP for vehicles carrying Odisha registration mark and registration number ending with 1 and 2 is August 31, a release by the STA informed Monday.
It is September 31 for registration number ending with 3 and 4, October 31 for registration numbers ending with 5 and 6, November 31 registration numbers ending with 7 and 8 and December 31 for registration numbers ending with 9 and 0, the STA said.
A fine will be imposed in the range of Rs 5,000 or Rs 10,000 under the Motor Vehicles Act (MVA) after the respective deadline ends.
The vehicle identification number in aluminium plates are laser encoded, which is easy to be scanned and difficult to be tampered with or replaced as it comes with a non-removable snap-lock. The registration number will have a unified font and style, making them better comprehensible.
The HSRP has details like engine number and chassis number in a central database, which, along with a 10-digit PIN or laser code – helps in identifying a stolen car.
The vehicle owner can book for HSRP and make payment through the online portal authorised by the manufacturers to maintain the transparency and to prevent excess charging from the vehicle owners, the STA said.
The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) welcomed the STA’s move ‘in building a robust online booking process for HSRPs & colour-coded stickers’.
“The service will soon be available for vehicle owners of these states on our website,” SIAM, an apex body of all major vehicle and vehicular engine manufacturers, posted on Twitter.
The HSRP has already been made mandatory for all new vehicles registered since April 1, 2019, the STA added.