Stylised number plates still common despite high security plates mandate in Pune

The concern isn’t just cosmetic. Neeraj Nangare, a resident of Shukrawar Peth, said, “Pune frequently witnesses road rage incidents and accidents, and when a vehicle with a missing or unreadable plate is involved in a crash, burglary, or assault and flees the scene, tracing it becomes extremely difficult – especially if the number isn’t legible on CCTV footage.”

He called such plates a genuine public safety threat and urged authorities to seize vehicles, not just fine them, to ensure violators take the rules seriously.

This isn’t a hypothetical worry. On September 5, senior citizen Datta Dhamnaskar was waiting at the Bhel Chowk signal in Nigdi Pradhikaran when a car hit his scooter from behind, throwing him nearly 10 feet towards the intersection. Fortunately, he survived with minor injuries, while the car fled the accident scene.

When he called the Nigdi police station, the only lead was a partial number – MH-14-LG-51 – with the vehicle’s four-digit unique registration number missing from the plate, making it difficult for police to trace the owner.

Responding to these concerns, Deputy RTO Pune, Swapnil Bhosale, said, “Regular drives are being conducted against illegal modifications and non-HSRP plates, with 3,093 violators fined so far, yielding around Rs 1.23 lakh in penalties.”

However, when asked about cracking down on the aftermarket accessory shops that sell these illegal plates and modifications in the first place, Bhosale said, “It is outside the RTO’s jurisdiction.”

The Pimpri-Chinchwad RTO has also stepped up action. A special inspection drive conducted between September 1 and September 15 targeted vehicles with non-compliant tinted films, fancy or stylised number plates, and those without HSRPs altogether.

The drive resulted in 395 challans, of which 167 have been paid so far, fetching the RTO Rs 8,09,270 in fines. The Deputy Regional Transport Officer of Pimpri-Chinchwad RTO warned that vehicle owners must immediately remove tinted films, unauthorised modifications, and fancy plates, failing which punitive action will follow under the Motor Vehicles Act.

Meanwhile, data shared by Pune RTO as of September 15 shows the scale of the HSRP rollout itself is far from complete. Against 11,90,113 total HSRP orders placed, 11,87,130 appointments have been scheduled, but actual fitments stand at just 9,77,997 – meaning over 2.09 lakh vehicles, or nearly 18 per cent of all orders, are yet to get their new plates physically fitted.