Hyderabad: At least 5 lakh vehicle owners, including 3 lakh two-wheelers and 1.5 lakh cars in Greater Hyderabad, must now comply with the mandatory requirement for high-security registration plates (HSRP), having failed to meet the earlier deadline in 2019.
According to sources in the RTA, around 40,000 to 50,000 HSRPs were piled up in each of the 11 unit offices as many vehicle owners were unaware of the mandatory requirement. In fact, many gave the HSRP a miss and instead went to their local dealer to get a ‘fancy’ radium sticker.
The state govt has recently mandated the affixation of HSRP for vehicles manufactured before April 2019. Vehicle owners failing to fix HSRP by September 30 will face multiple consequences, including denial of vehicle insurance and pollution-under-control (PUC) certificate renewals. Additionally, both police and transport authorities will prohibit such vehicles from operating on public roads.
Officials said that vehicle owners must schedule HSRP installation through the authorised portal www.siam.in to avoid penalties. Vehicle dealers will obtain HSRPs from manufacturers authorised by OEMs, who must upload photographs of the installed plates to the portal. “Legal action will be taken against dealers or individuals found selling or supplying unauthorised HSRPs in the state without proper manufacturer authorisation,” said an official in the transport department.
The HSRP system, introduced in 2013 as a replacement for conventional number plates with secure, tamper-resistant alternatives, faced initial setbacks due to production limitations and supply issues. The Regional Transport Authority operated dedicated fitting centres until 2019 but struggled to handle the substantial backlog of installations.
The responsibility was subsequently transferred to vehicle showrooms in 2020, where buyers pay HSRP charges at the time of purchase. However, current HSRP users have raised issues about plate quality, particularly the swift deterioration of black paint on embossed white plates, which raises questions about their durability.
