Pune RTO: Over Half of Old Vehicles Yet to Get HSRP Plates Despite Six Deadline Extensions

Pune, 7th September 2026: More than half of the old vehicles operating under the jurisdiction of the Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) are yet to be fitted with High Security Registration Plates (HSRP), despite the state transport department extending the compliance deadline six times.

According to Pune RTO data, more than 26 lakh old vehicles are currently operating in its jurisdiction. However, only 9,74,788 vehicles have so far been fitted with HSRP plates, highlighting a significant gap in compliance.
The state government made HSRP plates mandatory for all vehicles registered before April 1, 2019. The requirement for older vehicles was introduced in December 2024, when the transport department issued a standard operating procedure for implementing the mandate.

Since then, vehicle owners have been given several extensions to comply with the requirement. However, the response has remained relatively low.
According to the latest figures, 19,86,311 vehicle owners have registered for the HSRP installation process. Of these, 11,83,288 have been allotted time slots for installation. However, only 9,74,788 vehicles have actually been fitted with the plates.

This leaves 2,08,500 vehicles whose owners were allotted time slots but have not yet had the HSRP plates installed. Another 3,023 applications are still awaiting approval.

The large number of older vehicles in Pune is among the major challenges facing the implementation of the HSRP mandate. RTO data shows that 31,12,203 vehicles were registered between April 1, 2005, and March 30, 2019.

Of these, 21,07,803 vehicles registered between April 1, 2011, and March 30, 2019, are currently less than 15 years old.

Vehicles that have completed 15 years can continue to operate after their owners pay green tax and renew their validity for another five years. Around 10,04,400 vehicles registered during the earlier period fall into this category.

If around half of these vehicles are assumed to still be operating after payment of green tax, the Pune RTO jurisdiction has more than 26 lakh old vehicles currently on the roads.

Against this, fewer than 10 lakh vehicles have received HSRP plates so far, underlining the gap between the number of vehicles covered by the mandate and actual compliance.
Motorists question enforcement
Enforcement against vehicles without HSRP plates has also drawn criticism from some motorists. Several vehicle owners have taken to social media to question the manner in which the requirement is being enforced by the Pune RTO and traffic police.

Some motorists have alleged that enforcement drives primarily target ordinary vehicle owners and have questioned whether similar action is being taken against vehicles belonging to VIPs and influential individuals.
These claims have not been independently verified.

With compliance remaining low despite repeated deadline extensions, ensuring that the large number of eligible vehicles receive HSRP plates is likely to remain a challenge for transport authorities as enforcement of the requirement continues.