ASHLEY DO ROSARIO
PANAJI
Penny wise, pound foolish one could say as the Transport Department moved to rake in the mollah, doubling the premium you pay for a vehicle registration number of your choice, even as it slashed road tax by half which will deplete its cash balance by an estimated Rs 50-60 crore.
Just a week ago, the transport department slashed road tax on new vehicles by 50 per cent which will deprive it of revenue estimated to be in the region of Rs 50-60 crore until this year end.
But ironically at almost the same time it is hoping to rake in a fraction of what it will lose on road tax with an astronomical 100 per cent hike in premiums it charges from new vehicle buyers who have a fetish to have their own choice of registration mark (number).
That’s not all. Should there be more than one claimant for the same registration you are hankering for, hold your breath: outbidding the competitors is the only way you can have it etched on the High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) which will don your brand new bike or car.
According to an amendment to the Goa Motor Vehicle Rules, 1991 published in the official gazette some 10 days ago, the fees for vehicle numbers of your choice have been hiked astronomically.
Opting for a number from the single digit series that is 0001 to 0009 will cost you a whopping Rs one-lakh according to The Goa Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Rules, 2019 notified by Transport Director Rajan Satardekar. The premium to be paid for the single digit series was earlier Rs 50,000.
For commercial vehicle buyers, however, the fee for a number of choice is half that of a private vehicle at Rs 50,000.
Meanwhile, the premium will also be Rs one-lakh for the ‘786’ combination which is much sought after by Muslims as it holds cultural significance for them.
Although it has nothing to do with religion it is cultural that Muslims of Indian subcontinent adopted the numbers. “786” is the total value of letters of “Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim”.
Satardekar, who is also ex-officio joint secretary (Transport) said in the notification that two and three-wheeler buyers will have to cough up just Rs 15,000 and just Rs 7500, if the vehicle you bought is a two-wheeler or the
‘transport’ three-wheelers, for the number of your choice.
The department has also decided to cash in on the demand for numbers with identical last two digits. If you want to opt for this identical last two digit number, then be prepared to cough up Rs 40,000.
It also proposes to charge Rs 20,000 for numbers you would want to have on the number plate which are symmetrical striking numbers.
For four-wheeler buyers who wish to have a registration number with identical last three digits, the premium is pegged at Rs 75,000. Identical four digits will cost the vehicle buyer Rs 80,000 but bikes and three-wheelers will be charged half -- Rs 40,000.
Satardekar in the notification has also listed varying fees for those who opt to have their own choice numbers, depending on the permutation and combination of digits. For instance, assignment of consecutive pair such as 1212, 2323, will cost Rs 40,000.
In rule 2 of the amendment, Satardekar states: “In case the number of persons desirous of having any particular registration mark is more than one then the allotment shall be made by the concerned Registration Authority to the highest bidder.”
Meanwhile those who want to reserve the choice number in advance in a running series, they will have to pay the entire fees which will be nonrefundable, if the vehicle is not registered within three months. Opting for a number from single digit series -- 0001 to 0009 -- will cost you Rs 1 lakh
Fee for commercial vehicles (number of choice) is half that of a private vehicle @ Rs 50,000
Premium for ‘786’ combination much sought after by Muslims will be Rs 1 lakh
Two and three-wheeler buyers will have to cough up Rs 15,000 and Rs 7500
Those opting for identical last two digit number to pay Rs 40,000
Rs 20,000 to be charged for symmetrical striking numbers
For four-wheeler with identical last three digits, the premium is pegged at Rs 75,000
Identical four digits to cost Rs 80,000
