Driving new vehicle with temporary registration illegal, say new rules

NEW DELHI: Driving a new vehicle with a temporary registration number pasted on the number plate will now be an offence. The road transport ministry has also notified comprehensive norms for colour code for alphanumeric details of the registration number and the background of the number plate for 11 categories of vehicles.
The two new inclusions in the list are vehicles with temporary registration number and the ones in possession of dealers. The changes have been made under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), which prohibit use of any alphabet except capital letters in English and Arabic numerals on the number plate. It also says nothing else must be written on it.
This means plates displaying registration number if regional languages or small letters will be deemed illegal. “Even VIP registration numbers auctioned by states must comply with the norms,” said an official.
The CMVR specifies the dimensions of the number and alphabets to be written on any number plate. For example, in the case of all motor vehicles except two and three wheelers, the height, thickness and space have been specified at 65 mm, 10 mm and 10 mm respectively.
“Uniformity of all number plates is very essential for enforcement of rules. The cameras with number plate readers cannot read those which don’t conform to the norms,” said Anil Chikara, a Delhi transport department official specialising in motor vehicle licensing.
He said there have been numerous instances of criminals misusing vehicles with temporary registration numbers to commit crime. “It’s difficult to read the details printed on a piece of paper from a little distance and one can easily remove it at convenience. The notification has brought greater clarity,” Chikara said.
Though nation-wide implementation of High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) will put an end to the current practice of people flouting norms, several states are yet to implement it.
The road transport ministry said the notification has been brought to bring clarity in respect of an amendment notified in June 1989.