Pune’s high-security registration plate (HSRP) rollout remains incomplete, with more than 2.09 lakh orders yet to result in physical plate fitment as authorities continue penalising vehicles carrying illegal, stylised or deliberately obscured number plates across Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.
The HSRP mandate has been in force since July 1. The enforcement issue came into focus after a Fortuner owner from Tathawade was booked for using an auto-hiding number plate designed to evade speed cameras. Residents say vehicles with fancy plates, missing registration digits and other modifications continue to be visible on city roads despite the ongoing drives.
“People are fined for minor lapses such as a broken or missing mirror, yet vehicles with fancy plates, sometimes carrying just a name or a four-digit number, along with dark tinted glasses, are seen almost every day without roaming freely,” said Rohan Jadhav, a Dange Chowk resident.
Residents and police have also linked unreadable plates to the difficulty of tracing vehicles involved in crashes or other offences. Neeraj Nangare, a resident of Shukrawar Peth, said a missing or illegible registration number could make it difficult to identify a vehicle that flees an accident, burglary or assault after being captured on CCTV.
A recent case in Nigdi Pradhikaran illustrated that problem. On September 5, senior citizen Datta Dhamnaskar was waiting at the Bhel Chowk signal when a car hit his scooter from behind and fled. Dhamnaskar survived with minor injuries, but the only available vehicle lead was a partial registration number, MH-14-LG-51. The missing four-digit unique registration number made it difficult for police to trace the car.
Deputy RTO Pune Swapnil Bhosale said regular drives were being conducted against illegal modifications and non-HSRP plates. Pune RTO has fined 3,093 violators so far, collecting about Rs 1.23 lakh in penalties, according to the report. However, when asked about action against aftermarket accessory shops selling illegal plates and modifications, Bhosale said the matter was outside the RTO’s jurisdiction.
The Pimpri-Chinchwad RTO conducted a special inspection drive from September 1 to September 15. It targeted vehicles with non-compliant tinted films, fancy or stylised plates and vehicles without HSRPs. The drive produced 395 challans, of which 167 had been paid, generating Rs 8,09,270 in fines.
The Deputy Regional Transport Officer of the Pimpri-Chinchwad RTO warned vehicle owners to remove tinted films, unauthorised modifications and fancy plates immediately. Failure to comply would invite punitive action under the Motor Vehicles Act.
Pune RTO data as of September 15 shows that 11,90,113 HSRP orders had been placed and 11,87,130 appointments scheduled. Actual fitments stood at 9,77,997, leaving more than 2.09 lakh vehicles, or nearly 18 per cent of the orders, awaiting physical installation. The RTO enforcement drives and pending fitments remain the immediate next steps in completing the rollout.
