The Vasai Regional Transport Office has taken action against 1,015 vehicles for not displaying mandatory high-security registration plates (HSRP), collecting fines totalling Rs 10.15 lakh between 1 July and 15 September, according to the transport department.
The enforcement drive covers vehicles that were registered before 1 April 2019 and began in Vasai after the latest deadline for installing HSRP plates expired on 30 June 2026. The department has deployed teams to identify vehicles that continue to operate without the required plates.
Regional Transport Officer Atul Ade said 1,015 vehicle owners had been penalised during the two-and-a-half-month enforcement period. The fine amount works out to Rs 1,000 for each vehicle cited in the report.
The transport department said fancy registration plates create difficulties when vehicles are identified through e-challans because their registration numbers may not be recorded clearly or in the required format. It also said vehicle plates can be changed or tampered with for theft-related activities, making it harder for police to trace vehicles.
HSRP plates are designed to provide a standardised registration format and make vehicle identification more consistent for enforcement agencies. The requirement applies to vehicles registered before 1 April 2019, while the department has already extended the compliance deadline several times.
According to the report, vehicle owners were previously given deadlines of 30 April 2025, 30 June 2025, 15 August 2025, 30 November 2025 and 31 December 2025. The final extension ended on 30 June 2026, but a substantial number of vehicle owners had still not installed the plates.
Only 48 per cent of vehicles registered before 2019 in Palghar district had received HSRP plates, leaving more than half of the eligible vehicles without them, the transport department said. The low compliance rate has prompted the Vasai RTO to continue enforcement through designated teams.
The action links a vehicle-compliance requirement with the operation of e-challan systems and the ability of enforcement agencies to identify vehicles. Further enforcement will be carried out against vehicles that have not installed the mandatory plates, according to the Vasai Regional Transport Office.
