[katchkamalesh]

Based on a recent ruling by the Madras high court, IND plates have been now declared illegal and government officials have started to fine vehicles fitted with the “fake” IND plates.

I do understand that shop owners have cheated general public claiming that IND plates were the high security plates. However, apart from that I do not find anything wrong with it.

I believe that it’s easier to comprehend the number from an IND plate than from a normal plate where the number is painted on.

I wish officials had ensured proper communication of the ban before the crack down.

The Hindu

As per orders of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, police launched the drive to phase out the fake plate numbers fixed in vehicles by sticker shop owners in Kanyakumari district. Cases have been registered under Sections 465 and 471 of IPC.

TOI

Unfortunately, the notification about the order was not made public through any media and newspapers by the respective transport department in each district. At this juncture, the Trichy district police began the vehicle checking and imposed a fine of Rs 100 on many vehicles fitted with fake 'High Security Registration Plate'.

[addyhemmige]

Are the RTOs issuing the High Security Registration plates in Tamil Nadu? I can understand this ban if the HSRPs and 'fake' IND plates are being sold simultaneously. But without the HSRPs being issued by the RTOs, this is a stupid move on the part of the police. Even otherwise, these IND plates are far more legible and easy to identify than the fancy 'designer' plates which most people use.

I don't think a majority would have been cheated by the number plate makers claiming the IND plates as HSRPs. I, for one knew that this was not a HSRP but still went ahead and fitted it on my cars because it looked good and decent. I'm sure most of us here had the same reasons for going for this plate. I'm not sure of the situation in Tamil Nadu, but at least in Karnataka, these IND plates are not sold as genuine HSRPs.

[akshay4587]

If they are not giving original HSRP, how can they declare the fake one's as illegal; how are they different from usual plates?

[SchumiFan]

As usual the Courts are giving out ignorant judgements. They should have prohibited the number plates in regional language and the ones where just the last four digits are mostly visible. Instead they go and ban these clearly legible, wonderful looking plates.

[Padcot Prakash]

One can continue using the IND plates format. But the crack down is on the IND and fake hologram pasted on the plates.

My car had IND and fake hologram which I got pasted with a plain sticker and continue to use the plates. Havent faced any problem so far.

Yes, it is a stupid move as the car owners very well know these plates are not HSRP - but the crack down did earn got amount of revenue for the RTO's !

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by akshay4587

If they are not giving original HSRP, how can they declare the fake one's as illegal; how are they different from usual plates?

AFAIK HSRPs can only be issued and installed by the RTOs in a district. And these HSRPs have to adhere to a set of standards as mandated by the amended CMVR 1989 rules:

• 1 mm thk Aluminium sheet with ~10 mm corner radius.
• Embossed letters with India inscripts at 45 deg. angle (blue colour in Arial Bold font).
• A hot-stamped chromium based hologram (which can be replicated by these fake HSRPs).
• A unique 9 character laser-etched alpha-numeric code below the IND symbol that contains the identification of the vehicle (registration number, make, model, VIN, engine no. etc) with a font size of 2.5 mm.
• The laminated back plate (white/yellow) is reflective in nature (if the speed camera snaps it, the number plate will be glaringly evident).
• Counterfeit-proof snap locks (number plates are secured to the vehicle body using rivets; once removed, they cannot be riveted back by the user and a new number plate has to be applied for from the RTO).
• A third registration plate in the form of a destructive hologram based sticker stuck to the windshield of size 100 mm x 60 mm, which bears the registration number, VIN, chassis number and other details.
• Different dimensions of the plates for different categories of vehicles (2 wheelers, 4 wheelers and heavy vehicles).

It isn't just about a hologram, IND and the embossed letters.

Additionally, these HSRPs can only be manufactured by vendors who are approved by CRRI (Central Road Research Institute), ARAI or VRDE (Vehicle Research & Development Establishment).

Read the PDF here for more information - HighSecurityNumberPlate.pdf

I do however agree that the fake HSRPs do look neat and legible compared to the fancy ones floating around. As for the fake HSRPs, just get rid of the hologram and the IND symbol and you're good to go.

PS: I have HSRPs on my car installed at the RTO. So do several other members here.

[Zappo]

By the way, Telangana government has started issuing out HSRPs. It started as a voluntary thing for the first couple of weeks and then became mandatory. You can't register the car till you pay the HSRP charges at a dedicated counter and submit the counterfoil. Currently they ask for a 10 days lead time to get the plates.

[arunphilip]

My Dad got the HSRP-style plates fitted on his EcoSport about a week ago in Coimbatore. The accessories dealer who made the plates also pasted a neat sticker to cover the 'IND' bits, as shown below:

While this might save him from being pulled over, it does violate that part of the rule that says nothing must be stuck on the license plate. Let's see how it goes, he's running around in Coimbatore at present (and the traffic police are catching people there).

I wonder how the enforcement will be for vehicles entering TN from other states.

[svsantosh]

Arun

^^ - a emery paper + paint job with a micro brush should do the job. I am going to have to do it on my car too :(

Santosh

[Zappo]

Originally Posted by Zappo

By the way, Telangana government has started issuing out HSRPs.

Originally Posted by svsantosh

Arun

^^ - a emery paper + paint job with a micro brush should do the job. I am going to have to do it on my car too :(

Santosh

More interestingly, will these cops be able to decipher a genuine HSRP issued in another state? Anyways, I should get my HSRP in a day or two. Curious to see whether they actually provide all that the PDF on HSRP says it needs to have, including that windscreen sticker to identify the vehicle.

[wildsdi5530]

Looks like the Tamil Nadu govt. is learning from the Karnataka govt. Albeit on a much smaller scale. It's nice to see so much tech sharing between these two states.
Driving tech is shared from Tamil Nadu to Karnataka. The pioneers being BMTC buses. The smoothness with which they jump signals and block traffic from overtaking them would make any CMB driver proud.
Revenue tech is shared from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu. The RTO. fiasco with out station cars would have been the inspiration for OP.

[Altocumulus]

In Kolkata it is mandatory for new cars to have HSRPs. At delivery you get a slip to go the RTO for the same and get it fitted. You will then receive another slip which will work as a replacement for your Smart Card till you get it. Your smart card wont go for printing unless it is confirmed that you have fitted a HSRP.

Also any RTO paper work in your old car like name transfer, hypothecation removal will follow the same procedure. I had to get new plates fitted while trying remove the latter from the smart card of my Alto. Till now I had Utsav 'fake ' HSRP replicas on my car. Was never caught for them here.

[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by Zappo

More interestingly, will these cops be able to decipher a genuine HSRP issued in another state? Anyways, I should get my HSRP in a day or two. Curious to see whether they actually provide all that the PDF on HSRP says it needs to have, including that windscreen sticker to identify the vehicle.

If it is issued by the RTO, you will get everything indicated in the PDF. I have personally verified this with a few vehicles registered from Chandigarh, Rajashtan and New Delhi.

[ramzsys]

Today my car's plates were scrutinized very carefully at Kodai road toll plaza, NH7.

I saw the drive at Coimbatore too, so looks like a State wide drive.

[simplyself]

Originally Posted by Zappo

By the way, Telangana government has started issuing out HSRPs. It started as a voluntary thing for the first couple of weeks and then became mandatory. You can't register the car till you pay the HSRP charges at a dedicated counter and submit the counterfoil. Currently they ask for a 10 days lead time to get the plates.

As a matter of fact, the HSRP provided by the Govt are cheaper than the plastic plates/other types of plates.

Rs.650/- for a set of 2 aluminium plates for a 4 wheeler is a good bargain. The fly in the ointment is the capacity constraint of the supplier.