Maharashtra RTO ‘spy’ to breathe down drivers’ neck

The state transport department is now planning to include radio frequency tags on every number plate. These high-security number plates will bring a communication revolution, with authorities being able to ‘spy’ on your vehicle’s real-time movements.

The Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags on each and every number plate won’t just help track down offenders, but streamline public transport timetables as well. “RFID tags will help monitor the precise movements of buses and cabs, and provide minute-to-minute information to passengers at bus stops too,” said a senior RTO official.

Last week the Supreme Court directed all the states to install the new number plates. Most states have been given a deadline of March 2012, but the project in Maharashtra is mired in litigation and dispute.

The new registration plates have been made mandatory throughout the country for all types of motor vehicles, including old ones. Rule 50 of Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, was amended in March, 2001, to mandate the attachment of High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) in all categories of new as well as in-use motor vehicles.

The five safety features on the national HSRP are: a chromium base Ashok chakra hologram, the word INDIA etched by hot stamping foil, a seven-digit unique laser code, a self-destructive windshield sticker and a non-removable snap lock, which will protect vehicles from theft.

“Besides the features included in the national plan, the Maharashtra RTO is keen to include RFID microchips as an additional security feature on these plates. This will make it easier for the RTO and traffic police to obtain information about you and your car even from 300 feet away;” the RTO official said.

The microchip will store data pertaining to the car owner, including registration details, chassis number and RTO details of past offences. It can be scanned using chip-readers from a distance of up to 300 feet, and will help in monitoring cars that are speeding, breaking traffic rules, or violating pollution control norms.

In the future, the microchip will also help with the automatic toll collection system. With smart card driving licenses already in place, the microchips will be an added safety feature.