Hi-tech plates now for older vehicles

All vehicles bought between 2009-2012 will now have to get high security registration plates (HSRP). The transport department is starting the process of switching over to secure number plates from May 2, and will be setting up 15 new centres for the process.

"These new centres will not be at regional transport offices like existing HSRP centres but at easily accessible locations," said a senior transport official. While officials said the schedule for the HSRP process was still to be decided, Karn Nagpal of Rosmerta, the vendor in-charge, said vehicles registered between 2009-2012 would likely be in the first phase of mandatory affixation.

Till now, only new vehicles being registered in Delhi had to get secure number plates. With older vehicles coming under the HSRP ambit, every registered vehicle will need to have these number plates. "Though the HSRP affixation will be in phases, anyone having a vehicle registered before 2009 can also get the new number plates fitted," said Nagpal.

To get a HSRP fitted, one has to go to the nearest centre and present a copy of the registration certificate and insurance documents of the vehicle. The customer will be handed a receipt for the secure number plates and will have to return to the centre on the allotted date to get the plates fitted.

The transport department hopes that all 72 lakh registered vehicles in the city will be fitted with secure number plates within the next year and a half. "The number plates will be fitted in phases. For vehicles registered between 2009-2012, we hope to complete the process in three months," added Nagpal. Centres for old registered vehicles will come up at Mahipalpur, Dwarka, Okhla phase II, Badarpur, Shahdara, Malviya Nagar, Aya Nagar, Mohan Co-operative Estate and Wazirpur. More localities will soon be identified.

Since May 2012, 3.7 lakh new vehicles have been fitted with the secure number plates. However, a back-log of 40,000 HSRP is still with the company. A large number of commercial vehicles have still not got the secure number plates affixed, he added.