Confusion over HSRP enforcement leaves Hyderabad commuters frustrated

Motorists in Hyderabad are facing confusion over inconsistent enforcement of High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) by traffic police, with many claiming they have been penalised despite receiving no clear instructions on how to comply with the mandate.

Vehicle owners, particularly those with older registration numbers, have reported receiving challans ranging from ₹100 to ₹300 for what are being classified as “irregular number plates”. What has sparked discontent is not the fine itself, but the lack of clarity on how to obtain HSRPs, especially for vehicles registered before the current system was introduced in 2019.

Aditya Rao, a private employee working in Gachibowli, said he received a challan for an “irregular number plate” for his two-wheeler in December 2024. “The vehicle was a 2016 purchase. Back then we didn’t have this system of getting your number plates from the showroom like it is now. I got it done in due time and honestly I wasn’t aware of the violation until I was slapped with the challan,” he said.

Other residents shared similar concerns. Arun Abraham, a resident of Sanathnagar, was issued a challan in June 2025 for his car, registered in 2014. “The vehicle was registered before HSRPs became mandatory. There has been no official notification or instruction from the State government on how owners of older vehicles can make the switch,” he said.

Jurisdictional overlaps are compounding the confusion. Residents say traffic police stations across different zones, Hyderabad and Cyberabad, appear to be enforcing the rule with varying interpretations. Arun noted that although he resides within Cyberabad limits, he was fined in the Hyderabad zone. “I went to the Begumpet traffic police station to understand the reason. They acknowledged that they had been asked to issue challans but did not know how to facilitate the conversion to HSRP. They simply directed me to the RTO,” he said.

This situation unfolds in the backdrop of a planned enforcement drive by the Hyderabad and Cyberabad police in coordination with the Telangana Transport Department. The aim was to ensure compliance with HSRP requirements, mandated under the Motor Vehicles Act, as a safety and traceability measure. However, the lack of preparatory groundwork is now creating more chaos than compliance.

HSRPs are designed to be tamper-proof and are linked to a centralised database. While their phased rollout has been underway across India, implementation in Telangana, particularly Hyderabad, has been uneven.

The lack of a formal Government Order specifying how and when owners of older vehicles must switch to HSRPs has only added to the confusion. Many commuters see the ongoing enforcement as premature in the absence of such official clarity.

Several vehicle owners who attempted to book appointments online reported technical issues. “I am trying to get an appointment on bookmyhsrp.com, but it keeps giving me an error asking for a ‘correct registration number’. All details, including chassis and engine numbers, are being entered correctly, yet I keep getting these error messages,” said one user on Reddit.

Another user wrote, “Unable to apply for HSRP—facing the same error for Telangana. Tried contacting HSRP support but received no reply. All documents are within the validity period.”