No Registration Of Vehicles From Other States: Maharashtra Transport Department Issues SOP

Following reports of multiple vehicles from different places having bogus engine and chassis numbers being registered in Maharashtra, the state transport department has established a standard operating process (SOP) for vehicles being moved from other states, an official from the state transport department said.

The department recently issued a guideline after it was discovered that multiple trucks and buses from Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and other states were re-registered at the state’s regional transport offices (RTOs), according to the official.

Another official from the state transport department stated that earlier there was no fixed protocol for registering vehicles from other states, and clerks at RTOs would enter transferred vehicles on the Vahan portal. The senior clerks would approve it. The government initially detected “systemic flaws” in the registration procedure for vehicles from other states and then made steps to correct and tighten them.

According to the regulation, each RTO must retain a separate register to keep track of vehicles transferred to their office from other states. The related staff, motor vehicle inspectors, and assistant regional transport officers or deputy regional transport officers will be required to sign the register following the vehicle’s admission, inspection, and final approval, according to the statement.

If the details of a vehicle being transferred in their jurisdiction are not available on the Vahan portal, prior consent from deputy RTO officers is required before making entries or producing digital records.

The regulation also required motor vehicle inspectors to submit inspection reports. If the vehicle details are available on the Vahan portal, the final registration approval will be granted by the RTO officer or deputy RTO officials.

A top RTO official stated that the procedures adopted will effectively reduce fake registration of vehicles from neighbouring states. If a vehicle is not listed in the Vahan portal, confirmation will be sought from the relevant states, and coordination will take place between RTO staff, motor vehicle inspectors, and officials above ARTO rank.

According to officials, Maharashtra has over 50 RTOs, and trucks and buses with bogus chassis and engine numbers from different states have been registered at various offices in the state in recent years, but the precise number is unknown. The state transport department recently discovered false engine and chassis numbers on 34 buses and 26 trucks from Arunachal Pradesh that were re-registered at the Vasai RTO, which has authority over the whole Palghar district, within the last three years.

In December of last year, the Vasai RTO confirmed the car records with the various automobile manufacturer’s authorised dealers and filed a police report. It also wrote to other RTOs in the state, emphasising the importance of tracking these vehicles.