Pune: Vehicles flaunting customised registration plates with personalised surnames, nicknames like “Bhau” and “Boss”, or simply no plates at all have become an increasingly common sight on city roads, raising serious concerns over road safety and enforcement.Many of these vehicles, particularly SUVs, use High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) lookalikes with names printed in place of the vehicle number, while others eschew the mandatory plate altogether. Commuters say the trend reflects a blatant disregard for traffic laws and makes it nearly impossible to identify offenders in the event of a crash or hit-and-run.“Around July-end, I was travelling to music class in an autorickshaw when I spotted a car with a name written on the number plate that looked exactly like an HSRP. There was no registration number visible. A youngster was driving it rashly while his friends inside were laughing. I kept wondering what would happen if the car hit someone and sped away. How would anyone trace it? More importantly, how is such a vehicle allowed to ply on public roads?” said Pallavi Nehate, a private sector employee and resident of NIBM Road.Abhijeet Nakse, a resident of Koregaon Park, recalled a similar incident in June. “A speeding SUV overtook several vehicles before zooming into a housing society. It had no registration number plate. The vehicle appeared modified, with tinted windows and protective guards. It was being driven recklessly, forcing others to give way. Are authorities aware of how many such vehicles are on roads? Have they forgotten lessons from the 2024 Porsche crash?” he asked.Photos of such vehicles frequently surface on social media. On Wednesday, an X (formerly Twitter) user posted a photograph of an SUV with a name replacing the registration number on an HSRP-style plate, claiming it was clicked in Kamshet around July 26.Gaurav Pandey, a bank employee from Lohegaon, said the problem has become more noticeable among four-wheelers. “Earlier, it was mostly two-wheelers without proper registration plates. Now, more cars are sporting this violation. After the road fatalities involving a Porsche in May 19, 2024, the Regional Transport Office (RTO) had cracked down on dealers handing over vehicles without proper HSRPs. Has that drive slowed down? Those driving such vehicles know they will be difficult to trace if they are involved in an accident and they take advantage of it,” he said.Pune deputy regional transport officer Swapnil Bhosle said the rules remain unchanged and enforcement continues. “Every vehicle leaving a showroom must carry a valid registration number. If a vehicle is found without one, action is taken not only against the owner but also the dealer, including suspension of trade licence. We recently reminded dealers about these rules and will do so again while also conducting random inspections,” he told TOI.Bhosle warned that owners using HSRP lookalikes would ultimately face problems. “Such vehicles will attract action during inspections. If they are involved in an accident or require any RTO-related service, the Vahan portal will not recognise them, resulting in their work being stalled in addition to legal action,” he said.Commuters, however, believe the issue is not a lack of rules but weak enforcement. “Everyone knows these vehicles are illegal, yet people continue to use them because they are not afraid of being caught. If enforcement is strict and consistent, no one will dare violate the law,” said city-based commuter Dinesh Bhadre.
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