The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Fancy! plain goes the number plate

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 19, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Fancy! plain goes the number plate

M. Srinivas

Transport wing plans action against erring vehicle owners Transport wing plans action against erring vehicle owners

LOOKS ARE OUT: Such fancy displays are not likely to be permitted from September. — PHOTO: K. GAJENDRAN

HYDERABAD: Applying your fancies to your car's number plate could spell trouble from now on. That is, if the Transport Department's plans to view fancy registration number plates with a critical eye takes off.

With complaints galore on fancy number plates, which are difficult to read even from close range, the department is preparing ground to crack down on such vehicles from September. The punitive action will be based on the Motor Vehicle Act, according to which names, caricatures and logos should not be displayed on number plates.

While some vehicle owners announce their family names, others have the names of their children etched on the plates.

Ways to change

Others twist the fonts to make the numbers look out of the ordinary. For instance, 8055 is usually written in a digital font, making it appear like "BOSS". Some give a colour change by using brass metal.

The Transport Department, instead of directly cracking the whip on vehicle owners, has decided to first educate plate manufacturers on the font size of numbers and alphabets to be displayed by conducting a series of meetings, Joint Transport Commissioner B. Venkateswarlu said.

A meeting was held with manufacturers at Ramkote recently while one with those in Secunderabad is scheduled later this month. After this, a special drive in coordination with the traffic police would be launched to initiate action against motorists using fancy number plates. "We are planning to book cases under Section 192 of the MV Act in which a motorist will be declared as driving without registration number if he is found to be using a fancy number plate. A fine of Rs.2, 000 will be collected from him, instead of the existing Rs.300," the JTC said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh