Karnataka govt should clear the air on number plates

The Karnataka government should immediately clear the confusion over high-security registration plates (HSRP) with an increasing number of motorists complaining of harassment by traffic police especially in Bengaluru. These registration plates are tamper-proof as they are fixed on vehicles with non-reusable snap-on locks and contain details of the engine and chassis number. While ensuring uniformity, HSRP makes theft difficult and tracking the vehicles easier. While in due course this rule will apply to all automobiles, as of now it is applicable only to vehicles registered after March 2019. However, constables insist on imposing fines even on old vehicles during routine checks often leading to arguments with motorists. Though Bengaluru Police Commissioner had issued a clarification last year following outrage on social media after Byatarayapura traffic police tweeted that HSRP would henceforth be mandatory for all vehicles, the confusion continues to persist. Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) B R Ravikante Gowda says action will be taken against policemen demanding fines from old vehicles if motorists lodge a complaint. But a better way of dealing with the issue would be to sensitise the personnel down the line to the applicability of the rule.

It is also possible that policemen insist on implementing this non-existent rule for extraneous reasons, knowing its limitations fully well. Though the Home Minister and Police Commissioner have repeatedly stated that traffic police are not permitted to randomly flag down vehicles to check documents, this is followed more in the breach. With a high monthly target being set for the collection of fines, lower-rung officers complain that they have no option but to neglect their core duty of regulating traffic and instead station themselves at street corners to pounce upon unsuspecting motorists and book them for various violations. The confusion over HSRP appears to have only helped them hound motorists, particularly those who are not aware of the exact contours of the new rule.

The state government has missed several deadlines to make HSRP applicable to all vehicles, though tenders were first floated nearly a decade ago. There is a need to evolve a comprehensive policy as changing the existing number plates of about 2.10 crore vehicles registered prior to March 2019 would only end in chaos unless all loose ends are tied up first. But for now, the government and the police should issue clear instructions so that the current rule is not misused to harass vehicle owners. It is also important that police personnel return to their basic responsibility of managing traffic instead of acting as mere fine collection agents of the government.