Kerala - Kochi   

Measures on to end fleecing of vehicle-users by agents

Ready TO SERVE:The fast-track counter at the Ernakulam RTO office is under-utilised.

KOCHI: Taking note of the fleecing of vehicle users by a section of agents and middlemen, the Motor Vehicles Department has charted out plans to reach out to people.

As the first step, the department is popularising fast-track counters in Regional Transport Offices. Another plan is to facilitate e-payment of taxes and fees whereby people can make payments online. “Though we have two fast-track counters at the Ernakulam RTO office, few people know about it. We assure them service within 20-30 minutes of submitting the relevant documents,” said T.J. Thomas, the Ernakulam Regional Transport Officer.

The counters function from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Joint RTO offices. Only people with identity proof are allowed access to the counters after 2 p.m. Services such as renewal of driving licence, change of address in the licence (within the RTO office jurisdiction), duplicate of licence, conductor licence, transfer of vehicle ownership, address change, hypothecation noting, duplicate of RC book and issuance of auto-rickshaw/taxi permits can be availed of through the counters. Scanner, lamination machine and other equipment have been made available at RTO offices for the purpose.

Tax and fees can be paid at any of the other counters at the office. The Department is initiating steps to popularise its direct-payment facilities in the wake of widespread allegations that agents, middlemen and automobile dealers are demanding higher rates than the ones fixed by the government for various services and even for routine payment of taxes.

A case in point is the fee collected by dealers to register new vehicles. The government has fixed Rs.400 as the registration fee for cars and Rs.160 for two-wheelers. But most dealers charge upwards of Rs.2,000 (owners of high-end cars are often charged over Rs.20,000 under the head handling/logistic expenses) for cars and above Rs.1,000 for two-wheelers. “They do so under the garb of engaging sub-contractors to take the cars for registration. We can suspend the trade certificate of the dealer if we receive any complaint in this regard,” said an RTO official.

The official said that the government should bring in transparency in the sector by fixing the fees that agents could charge. People who directly approach RTO offices can fill in the application forms available there or are available online o the website www.keralamvd.gov.in.

e-payment facilities

The soon-to-be launched e-payment facility is expected to ease considerably the pressure on employees manning the counters at RTO offices across the State. For this, the department is awaiting the upgrading of the software and changes in the hardware being used.

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