10.4.11

GPS chips to be must in vehicle plates

The Supreme Court on Thursday left no option for the Centre and states but to speedily implement policy for installation of high security registration plates (HSRP) in 9 crore vehicles. A Bench comprising Chief Justice S H Kapadia and Justices K S Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar slammed the states for their lethargy in implementing the court’s 2008 judgment upholding the Centre’s 2001 notification on mandatory HSRPs for vehicles. Writing the judgment for the Bench, Justice Kumar said the executive must implement the court’s order within the stipulated time, especially when the issue concerned safety of citizens, which was of paramount interest for the governments. It lamented non-implementation of the May 8, 2008 judgment and issued contempt notices to the transport secretaries of Delhi, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. The court also directed those states, which have initiated the process of implementation of high security registration plates (HSRPs), to complete it within 6 weeks. Each HSRP is estimated to cost between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. With India having over 9 crore vehicles, including 6.5 crore twowheelers, the 16 selected manufacturers are expected to do a cumulative business of Rs 5,000 crore. The court on May 8, 2008 had asked the governments to make modifications in the HSRP scheme drafted by the Centre and implement it within 6 months, a deadline which was extended from time to time. The court had, in its earlier judgment, dispelled challenges to the scheme holding it to be in public interest as it sought to track down stolen vehicles through a GPS security chip attached to HSRPs to prevent its misuse for terrorist and disruptive activities.

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