Rs 80-crore inflow expected from number plates
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Hyderabad: Changing vehicle registrations from AP to TS will fetch huge revenues for the Telangana government in the form of registration and High Security Number Plate (HSNP) fees. While the earlier GO issued in June 2014 – which was stayed by the High Court – had clearly mentioned “free of cost registration”, it is missing in the latest government order.
If the government fails to give a clarity on this issue when it issues guidelines for re-registration, which is expected in 10 days, there are high chances of the re-registration process getting stuck in legal issues. Some social organisations are already planning to move the High Court against re-registration after the guidelines are out, especially if the government imposes additional financial burdens on motorists.
Moreover, the transport department has proposed to insist on HSNPs for all motorists. At present, Rs 245 is collected for a two-wheeler, Rs 610 for cars and other four wheelers and Rs 649 for transport vehicles for HSNPs. Nearly 80 lakh vehicles with AP code will have to re-register with Telangana following government orders. The government has proposed collecting a “nominal fee” of Rs 100 for two wheelers and Rs 200 for 4-wheelers and Rs 300 for transport vehicles for issuing new Registration Certificates (smart card). Even at the rate of Rs 100, the department will earn Rs 80 crore from registration fee alone. Meanwhile HSNPs will impose a financial burden of Rs 190 crore on motorists even at a basic price of Rs 245. The HSNPs are also bound to be a headache for motorists due to severe shortages being faced in all the RTAs, resulting in a long pendency.
“The government is aware of all these concerns being raised by motorists. But nothing has been finalised yet. We are still in the process of drafting guidelines. The government will definitely keep in mind all these issues and ensure that re-registration is kept simple and does not impose a heavy financial burden on motorists,” said transport minister P. Mahender Reddy.
Transport officials initiated the exercise to frame the guidelines for re-registration on Friday. The main challenge they are facing this time is to draft the guidelines in such a manner that the re-registration process does not get stuck in legal disputes like last year.
RTAs not prepared for heavy rush:
None of the RTAs in Telangana are equipped to cope with the huge rush of vehicle owners, who will seek re-registration of vehicles from AP to TS within four months. At present, 25,000 vehicles are being registered in GHMC limits every month. On an average, 1,000 vehicles are registered on every working day in a month.
While the RTAs are supposed to provide HSNPs within two weeks after registration, motorists are forced to wait for more than a month at present. Contractors supplying HSNPs fail to meet even the existing demand, raising questions how they will cope when an additional 80 lakh motorists approach the RTAs, seeking re-registration from AP to TS.
The 11 RTAs in GHMC limits have been witnessing severe shortage of HSNPs leading to frequent agitations by motorists.
Though the fees for installing HSNPs is being collected at RTAs on the day of registration itself, motorists are forced to wait for weeks and months and stand in long queues for hours to obtain them. Motorists complain that the joy of buying a new vehicle is short-lived on account of this delay as the traffic police is issuing challans for lack of number plates.
“Whey they collect HSNP fees from us, they say that everything will be communicated to us over SMS – about when to visit the RTAs for the number plate. But only one message, about payment of fees, comes. With no information, we are forced to approach the RTAs every day,” said P. Vinay Kumar, a two-wheeler owner who paid his fees four weeks ago at a RTA in the city.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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