The Delhi High Court Thursday suggested to the AAP government to give more time to people to obtain colour-coded fuel stickers and high-security registration plates (HSRP) before it starts fining them Rs 5,500 for violations

A bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Talwant Singh said the Delhi government should not create panic among the citizens which would make some people take advantage of the situation.

The court also said that advertising the requirement for stickers and HSRP by the Delhi government in August this year “was not the ideal time”.

The court was hearing a PIL by the President of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, Anil Kumar, alleging that the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) were overcharging for the colour coded fuel stickers and HSRP that have been made mandatory for vehicles in the national capital.

Advocate Sunil Fernandes, appearing for Kumar, told the court that the challan drive by the Delhi government has created a fear psychosis in the minds of the people who are scrambling to get the stickers and HSRP so that they would not have to face the fine.

Delhi government, represented by additional standing counsel Satyakam, told the bench that it has nothing to do with fixing the rate of the stickers and HSRP and it was only concerned with implementing the Supreme Court directions that all vehicles should have HSRP and the stickers.

Earlier, in a limited drive from 15 December, 239 challans were issued for HSRP and colour-coded sticker violations in Delhi.