Soon Automakers To Deliver Cars Fitted With Number Plates: Nitin Gadkari

Registration plates on vehicles could soon come fitted right from the assembly line, as per Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. In a recent statement, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) stated that the cars will soon come fitted with number plates and the cost will be included in the four-wheeler's price. The move is dramatically different from the current practice, wherein the vehicle license plate bearing the official registration number is procured at the local state agencies separately after the purchase of the vehicle. The move, Gadkari says, will offer some relief to the consumer by lowering the overall acquisition cost.T

Speaking to PTI, Nitin Gadkari was quoted saying, "We have taken an important decision. Now, manufacturers will fit the plates and embossing will be done later through machine."

The new technology number plates are intended to bring relief to consumers but also bring in uniformity across states and transparency in prices. The prices for number plates by states range between Rs. 800 and Rs. 40,000, the minister added further. Currently, the registration number for the number plate is issued by the Regional Transport Office (RTO) of the respective states.

The Union Minister, however, did not comment if the new practice will be applicable to two-wheelers and commercial vehicles as well.

Nitin Gadkari also commented that there will be no compromise in terms of security of vehicles. "We will not compromise with security.... what security norms we have done for economic models, same is for luxury and SUVs," he said.

The government has mandated that all cars manufactured after July 1, 2019, will need to have airbags and seatbelts as mandatory, along with speeding alert systems beyond 80 kmph. Reverse parking sensors will also be mandated on vehicles as per the government. The mandate affects motor vehicles of category M1 (cars) and the new safety features are stipulated in the notification AIS-145-2017.