Vehicles to get high-security number plates in Maharashtra by 2011

The Maharashtra state transport department is mulling-over to introduce the new-age high-security number plates for the vehicles running on Maharashtra road by next year. If everything goes according to plan, it will become comparatively easier to not only trace but also recover the stolen or lost cars in the state of Maharashtra. The transport department of Maharashtra had recently stated that once implemented, the new number plates will be mandatory to be installed at every vehicle that is or will be registered in the state of Maharashtra. Where the owners of the new vehicles will have to compulsorily fit the new type of number plate at the time of registration of the vehicle, the owners of the existing vehicles will be given a time of two years to get their old number plates replaced by the new one. 

According to reports, the state transport department has instructed all regional transport offices (RTOs) in the state to ensure the installation of new number plates at all vehicles registered in the state. With this, the vehicle owners of other states who want to keep the vehicles in state for a period of more than eleven months, will have to upgrade the number plates. 

The owners of the vehicles will have to pay up to Rs 800 for the installation of new number plates on their vehicles depending on the type of vehicle. However, for the two-wheelers, the cost of new number plates will be minimal.  

The department will float the tenders by the first week of next month so that the project can be implemented in next four months and the work of fitting of number plates on vehicles would start. According to the state transport minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, it is a long pending issue which was being heard in the high court. But, recently the court has granted permission to float tenders for the project.