Bengaluru: Hundreds of high-end cars which were seized by the state transport department since the past few months over the tax default issue and which were collecting dust in the various TTMCs in the city will soon be handed over to their owners.
This is following the Karnataka High Court's judgment which termed the new rule prescribed by the state transport department that non-state registered vehicle owners should pay a lifetime tax if they were to use such vehicles in Karnataka beyond 30 days, as unconstitutional.
According to an order issued by the state transport department dated March 17, all the joint directors were directed to release the vehicles seized for non-payment of the lifetime tax. Vehicles kept in TTMCs
According to an officer from the transport department, in Bengaluru alone thousands of vehicles especially bikes and cars, including high-end ones, were seized in past few months for non-adherence to this rule.
“These vehicles, which included BMW cars, were seized as the owners were refusing to pay the lifetime tax. Owners were arguing that as they had already paid a lifetime tax once they would not pay it again as it ran into several lakhs. These vehicles were seized on a daily basis and kept in the various TTMCs owned by the BMTC,” he explained.
