Bengaluru RTO Officers Begin Seizing Out-of-State Vehicles For Not Paying Road Tax [Video]
The Karnataka Road Transport Department and police authorities have started cracking down on non-Karnataka-registered vehicles. Recently, a video has been shared online that shows the authorities finding and seizing cars that have been in the state for more than the permitted period. As per the reports, if a vehicle is found exceeding this period, the owners are being handed hefty fines. In some cases, if the vehicle has been in the state for more than 11 months, they are being asked to pay the complete Karnataka road tax.
Bengaluru authorities fining other state cars
This video showing the crackdown on non-Karnataka-registered vehicles has been shared on Instagram by The Indian Motorheads on their page. In this short video, we can note that the RTO officials and Karnataka police authorities are handing over a fine to the owner of a Mercedes-Benz E-Class, which has a Maharashtra registration number, more specifically, Navi Mumbai.
In addition to this car, they were also seen fining a Hyundai i20 and a Mercedes-Benz GLC luxury SUV. For those who may not be aware, all of this started with the fining of a Ferrari and an Audi, following which the RTO officials and police authorities are now finding regular cars from other states.
What's going on?
As per the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, vehicles are allowed to stay in another state for up to 11 months before the owner has to re-register them in the state in which they are. However, the Karnataka Motor Vehicles Taxation (Amendment) Act, 2014, states that non-Karnataka-registered vehicles can only stay in the state for 30 days, and once they cross this mark, they can be fined.
Due to this discrepancy, the Karnataka Road Transport Department and police authorities are stopping and checking all non-Karnataka-registered vehicles. According to reports, if a vehicle has been in Karnataka for more than 11 months, the authorities are demanding an immediate payment of road tax.
Additionally, the authorities are checking for previous fines on these non-Karnataka-registered vehicles. If they are found in the system, it is understood that the vehicle has overstayed its new registration grace period, and they are being fined again. If the owners fail to pay the tax, their vehicles are seized by the authorities.
Reportedly, even vehicles from neighboring states are not being spared by the authorities. Only TN-70, which is Hosur’s registration code, and AP-39, which belongs to the border region of Andhra Pradesh’s Gajuwaka, are not being fined by the authorities. This is because both of these places and the vehicles from there are involved in cross-border movement.
Presently, the rule states that if a vehicle enters Karnataka with a registration from any other state, the owner has to inform the Karnataka RTO officials and obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC). This has to be done so that the vehicle can legally be used on the roads in Karnataka. Also, after the end of 11 months, the owner has to pay road tax to the RTO department. However, if the vehicle leaves Karnataka before completing 11 months, no tax has to be paid.
The confusion between central and state laws
This crackdown, as mentioned, is the result of contradicting laws. On one hand, the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, states that a vehicle can stay in a different state for up to 11–12 months. Meanwhile, on the other hand, Karnataka enforcing a stricter 30-day rule contradicts the central law, leading to confusion and chaos among the owners of such vehicles.