GUWAHATI: The transport commissioner recently directed the transport officials to ensure that all vehicles are installed with High Security Registration Plates (HSRP). Ironically, the authorities, even after seven years of its introduction, have not been able to completely enforce HSRP in Guwahati.
Transport Commissioner Virendra Mittal, talking to G Plus said, “I understand the issue and have directed all the officers in all districts to enforce HSRP.” He further said that it is the duty of the transport department and very soon it will be completed.
High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) were expected to be installed in all vehicles within a period of two years from the commencement of the scheme in any state. In Assam, HSRP installation started in the month of June 2012. Within June 2014, all the vehicles (including previously registered vehicles) were expected to be installed with these security plates.
According to a source in Agros Impex India Pvt Ltd (the company which is responsible for fitting HSRP on vehicles), a significantly lesser number of vehicles installed HSRP in Guwahati.
The source said that approximately 16,858 vehicles were installed with HSRP in 2013, 44,394 vehicles in 2014, 6,626 vehicles in 2015 and in 2016, 74,542 vehicles were fitted with HSRP.
Since 2017 there was an increase in the number of installation because the vehicle dealers were directed by the district transport office (DTO) not to deliver any new vehicle without the HSRP installation.
Consequently, HSRP installation machines were set up in some of the dealers’ showrooms (20) for the purpose and fitting of the same on vehicles was guided by the company.
The source described that initially, after the implementation of HSRP scheme in Assam, the DTO had made a rule that a vehicle’s registration certificate (RC) would be provided to the vehicle owner only after the HSRP was installed on the vehicle. But later, after the change of policy, only if the challan or the receipt of the payment for HSRP was shown to the DTO authorities, the RC was provided to the vehicle owners.
The source said that the agents come with the files of many vehicle owners and after the payment of the challans, they collect the RCs of all these owners. There is a big difference in the number of challans generated and the number of vehicles fitted with HSRP.
Since the commencement of the implementation, the source said that only newly bought vehicles usually go to the District Transport Office to install the security plates. The old vehicles are hardly seen installing such plates by changing their old plates.
Moreover even after a mandate to the vehicle dealers to deliver new vehicles only after HSRP is installed, many vehicles are delivered without the number plates and the transport officials, because of manpower shortage, do not get hold of such vehicles, a source in the DTO said.
A source in the DTO (Enforcement) branch said, “Because of lack of manpower, drives against vehicles without HSRP are hardly conducted.”
The traffic police, at times, act against such vehicles but mostly the onus is on transport department.
‘Magic’ drivers in city violating DTO rules, authorities fail to enforce
From 1st April 2016, old share taxis (mainly trekkers) were banned in Guwahati by the Gauhati High Court and many of these trekker owners started purchasing the Tata Magic to use them as share taxis. Over time the number of such vehicles increased but till date the transport regulations are not properly followed by the Magic drivers.
“We sometimes enforce the transport rules but all the time it is not possible for us because of less manpower,” said a transport enforcement official under condition of anonymity.
The seating capacity of the passengers in a Magic vehicle is 7 but they carry up to 10 passengers basically overloading it, expressed a passenger, Nagesh Bhagat from Lal Ganesh.
The share taxis are directed to display the fare charts in the vehicle, but very few share taxis display the same, said a source in the district transport office (DTO).
There are always rifts between the passengers and the drivers over the fare but mostly the passenger is helpless and pays whatever the drivers demand, expressed another passenger who travels from Paltan Bazar to ISBT every day.
Over speeding, rash driving and driving without uniforms are also some other issues which the authorities require to check. But this hardly happens.
The transport commissioner, Virendra Mittal, assured that very soon strict action will be taken against unruly drivers and if required their permits will be cancelled.
