(Fast | Lane) Motorists violating rule to face Rs 200 fine
Hyderabad:The government’s directive requiring every vehicle registered before April 1, 2019, to be fitted with tamper-proof high security registration plates (HSRPs) by September 30 this year is bound to affect more than two lakh vehicles. They still display conventional or decorative number plates even though HSRPs — featuring laser-etched codes, chromium holograms and snap locks — have been compulsory for new registrations since 2019 under Rule 50 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989.
Motorists found without the plates will face a ₹200 fine.
Owners can book installation and pay online at www.siam.in, and must also affix the mandated colour-coded sticker showing fuel type and emission standard.
The transition has devastated Hyderabad’s once-bustling number-plate trade. At Ramkote, veteran fabricator Mohammed Hyder Khan recalls that the area boasted more than a 1,000 plate-making shops two decades ago; only a handful remain, surviving on four or five daily orders, mostly for novelty plates.
Sami Ali Osman in Kacheguda said many craftsmen had switched to vehicle-sticker work or shut their doors after police warned them on February 26 against producing non-standard plates.
Joint transport commissioner C. Ramesh said the department is awaiting detailed guidelines but would soon intensify enforcement drives. With the Supreme Court pressing states to adopt HSRPs, officials urge owners to act early to avoid last-minute queues and heavier penalties after the September 30 deadline.
