Gujarat City has 3L vehicles without HSRP

Despite the state government’s directive that vehicles should not be delivered without High Security Registration Plates (HSRPs), an estimated nine lakh vehicles in Gujarat are still operating without them.

In Ahmedabad alone, around three lakh vehicles lack these plates, while Rajkot, Surat, and Vadodara have a combined total of four lakh. Of these, 2.5 lakh vehicles are approximately 10 years old, with the remainder purchased within the last five years. The transport department estimates that 50% of these vehicles either have not installed HSRPs or are using unclear, fancy number plates to evade detection by CCTV cameras and avoid e-challans.

Even after the implementation of the new rule last year, 20% of drivers continue to use ‘Applied for Registration’ stickers or ambiguous number plates. Penalties for driving without HSRPs range from Rs 1,000 for two-wheelers to Rs 4,000 for four-wheelers.

A senior transport department officer noted that many of the vehicles without HSRPs are sold by dealers on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. Despite the rule mandating that HSRPs be installed on all new vehicles before delivery, enforcement appears to be lacking, with no dealers receiving show-cause notices to date. The state transport department has collaborated with five agencies to ensure timely delivery of HSRPs, promising same-day delivery for orders placed before 2 pm, and next-day delivery for later orders. The use of temporary numbers has been abolished, and any form of writing on number plates is prohibited by law. However, despite plans for a coordinated crackdown with the traffic department last year, no such enforcement drive has been launched, with potential actions delayed until after the election.