PANAJI
More than half of all vehicles registered in Goa are yet to be fitted with High Security Registration Plates (HSRPs), despite the mandate under the Central Motor Vehicles Act and repeated warnings from the Directorate of Transport of strict penalties for non-compliance.
According to official data with The Goan, around 6.06 lakh vehicles in the State have been fitted with HSRPs, against a total of 13.34 lakh registered vehicles.
The sluggish pace of implementation on the part of vehicle owners continues even after a circular on December 17, 2024, empowering authorised dealers and manufacturers to install HSRPs. The State had earlier appointed two agencies through a tendering process until the contract ended five years later.
Meanwhile, the current figures reveal that about 2.13 lakh vehicles were fitted with HSRP before April 1, 2019. Between April 1, 2019 and December 17, 2024, 3.85 lakh more were added and 8,164 vehicles have been fitted since the latest order.
Officials conceded that some vehicles may have been scrapped, but the owners failed to report it. “The database only updates when owners voluntarily inform the department of scrapping. There is a process for scrapping, however, some owners do not inform about the unused vehicles...” the transport official said.
Still, the Department has made compliance easier. Orders for HSRPs can be placed online through the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) portal, and vehicle owners have the freedom to approach any registered dealer for installation. “Dealers have been instructed to affix plates on all eligible vehicles, not just those from their own brands,” the official added.
In a public notice issued in February, Director of Transport Pravimal Abhishek stated that field inspections had found widespread non-compliance. He warned that violators would face penalties under applicable laws. Sources revealed that the penalty for not having an HSRP is a mere Rs 500. "Only after a vehicle owner is detected without HSRP, he/she is fined," the source added.
The HSRP rule was enforced to prevent vehicle theft and promote standardization as a part of the pan-India drive. In 2023, the Transport Department admitted to violations by numerous vehicle owners and assured they were addressing the issue gradually, including strict implementation of HSRP.
The department also planned to revive the implementation process and re-launch drives to ensure all vehicles were equipped with the HSRP plates.
