Govt’s high-security number plates notice triggers confusion in Salcete and beyond

The public notice on fixation of HSRP.

MARGAO
Vehicle owners from Salcete and other places are caught in a fix over the compliance and infrastructure gaps in the fixation of the High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) when a vehicle owner was told by a dealer that he will have to travel to Mapusa to fix the HSRP.

In fact, the Transport Department’s recent warning to vehicle owners to comply with the mandatory fixation of HSRP or face strict penalties has left vehicle owners confused and frustrated. The directive has also raised a host of questions about the government’s preparedness and the logistics involved in implementing the rule.

Vehicle owners are questioning whether the Transport Department has compiled accurate data on the number of active vehicles on record and how many have already fitted HSRP number plates. Concerns are also being voiced over whether vehicle dealers will be able to handle the sudden rush from thousands of owners of older vehicles, in addition to managing their regular sales and service operations.

Owners have demanded that the government announce a clear window period for compliance before enforcing penalties. They argue that the public notice only directs owners to “fix the number plates at the earliest” without specifying a deadline or providing adequate facilities.

Many are also questioning why the government’s much-publicised “Government at Your Doorstep” initiative has not been extended to the HSRP process. Vehicle owners suggest decentralising the fixation exercise by setting up centres in every taluka to prevent overcrowding and inconvenience.

Following the Transport Department’s public notice published on September 25, RTO officials and Traffic Police have begun checking vehicles for compliance, sending many owners rushing to RTO offices at Arlem and the Osia Commercial Complex, Old Market—only to return disappointed after receiving vague or unhelpful responses.

Tensions flared at the Arlem RTO office on Thursday when Roque Fernandes, a two-wheeler owner from Benaulim, arrived seeking to fix his HSRP plates. He recalled that when the HSRP system was first implemented in Goa before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Arlem RTO office was designated as a fixation centre. However, that centre was later shut down by the then South District Collector following complaints about inadequate amenities for visitors.

After discovering the centre was closed, Fernandes went upstairs to the RTO office, only to be told he would have to complete the process online and visit his vehicle’s original dealer for fixation. To his dismay, he learned that he would need to travel all the way to Mapusa to get the plates installed.

“Why should a resident of Margao or Salcete have to go all the way to Mapusa to fix the HSRP? Why can’t the government set up centres in every taluka and ensure the right mechanism is in place? Is this what they mean by ‘Government at Your Doorstep’?” Fernandes questioned.

He added that vehicle owners were not opposed to the HSRP requirement but expected the government to first establish proper infrastructure to make compliance feasible.

Sources told The Goan that the government has not yet renewed the agreement with the previous agency, which had an operational unit at the Verna Industrial Estate. “We fail to understand the rationale behind this public notice. It seems designed to create panic among vehicle owners and pressure them unnecessarily, possibly for vested interests,” remarked one frustrated owner.

With confusion mounting and logistical challenges unresolved, vehicle owners are urging the government to first streamline the system and set up accessible fixation centres before penalising the public for non-compliance.