Old vehicles to get big ticket

Hyderabad: Are you using a 15-year-old vehicle? Get ready to pay huge penalties as the state government proposes to increase renewal charges for registration of four-wheelers by about 15 times and 10 times for two-wheelers.

Those who fail to get their vehicle registration renewed will have to pay ten times the existing penalty every month.

With an intent to boost revenues, the Transport department, according to official sources, has come up with this idea and has sent the proposal for the Chief Minister's approval.

This would be applicable for private vehicles with white number plates only. Transport vehicles with yellow number plate have different set of rules which are now in force and that would continue.

As per the Motor Vehicles Act, owners of the vehicles with over 15 years must go in for renewal of the registration of their vehicle for the next five years.

Presently, the fee for renewal of the registration of a two-wheeler is Rs 600 plus Rs 285 as Green Tax.

Similarly, for the non-transport four-wheeler, the fee is Rs 735 plus Rs 500 (Green Tax). Now the officials have sent proposals for enhancing the fee of two-wheeler to Rs 2,000 plus Rs 285 (GT) and for four-wheeler the department wants to make it Rs 10,000 plus Rs 500 (GT).

According to officials, there are a total of 1.07 crore vehicles in the state, including 93 lakh transport vehicles like trucks, autos, motor cabs, RTC buses and school buses.

There are estimated 22 lakh old vehicles, including two-wheeler and four-wheelers which are over 15 years of age. Sources said that the officials have sent a proposal for imposing penalty every month for delaying the renewal of registration.

There is a provision of penalty of Rs 300 (for two-wheeler) and Rs 500 (four-wheeler) every month if the vehicle owner does not renew.

If a four-wheeler owner does not renew the registration for one year, the motorist would have to pay a penalty of Rs 6,000 in addition to the prescribed renewal fees.

Sources said that after formation of Telangana, the government had increased the renewal fee from Rs 325 to Rs 450 and now the officials have proposed for further hike in the fee.