[drive_angry]

Originally Posted by hserus

If you are in town for 6 months you don't need to re-register your vehicle.

In any case re-registration would require you to get a NOC from the relevant RTO in Chandigarh and surrender your RC there.

Thanks Suresh for your prompt response yet again. I don't intend to re-register the vehicle here in Maharashtra but what about the road tax? Do I need to pay the road tax for such a short duration? Does the police really check road tax receipts for out of the state vehicles?

[Mortis]

Shreyans : Good point. No idea how common your kind of scenario is but I guess vehicles registered in one state should be allowed free reign in states that share borders. In an ideal scenario we would have country wide fixed rate, like hopefully what GST is going to do for sales tax.
From this we can conclude that India is still a divided country. Its a similar scenario with roads as well, various govt departments are responsible for different roads, even around the same area so its convenient for them to pass the buck. I think its high time the government streamlines its department so that only one body is responsible for each bit of public infrastructure. Unfortunately it wont happen because of our high population unnecessary middle men have squeezed in wherever they arent needed.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by drive_angry

Thanks Suresh for your prompt response yet again. I don't intend to re-register the vehicle here in Maharashtra but what about the road tax? Do I need to pay the road tax for such a short duration? Does the police really check road tax receipts for out of the state vehicles?

No, not for 6 months. Take the vehicle out of state once a month say and produce toll receipts that should be fine.

[nettooran]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

I thought only Karnataka and Kerala were notorious for such antics.

Have never seen or heard of such picking by Kerala motor vehicles or Kerala Police ever. I guess the only thing they look for is for Pondichery registered cars.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Mortis

I think its fair. Pay the road tax in the state where you use the car the most.

to this. You pay tax for the state that you drive in.

I have been guilty of trying to dodge the system by getting my 1996 Esteem with an MP-09 plate. Within a couple of years, the cops started their crackdown, I paid the MH tax and got MH plates.

If someone is genuinely travelling between two states all the time and has an actual address (a lot of these cars are registered on fake addresses), then it's okay. But be prepared to show toll receipts, address proof, fuel bills etc. whenever you are pulled over. Honestly, it's too much of a hassle.

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

I live in Faridabad (Haryana)
My factory is in Noida (UP)
I have to cross Delhi every day on my way to work. Twice a day. Seven days a week.

Yours is a unique situation pal. But it's not the same as a Shillong Range Rover being driven in Mumbai (distance of 2,500 km between the two). Ditto with so many Jharkhand-registered imports in Mumbai (a distance of 1,800 km).

On a lighter note, the Range Rover won't really make the distance either (thanks to its poor reliability).

Originally Posted by drive_angry

Is it applicable for two wheeler as well? I am driving my bike in Pune with Chandigarh License plates.

It is, but you'll probably fly below the radar. Cops will always go after the high value targets first.

Originally Posted by Sahil

What the cops are doing is not completely legal, they first need to prove that the car has been in Mumbai for over a year only then are they justified to impose any tax or fine.

The onus of proof lies with the car owner (toll slips, fuel bills etc.). If the case is genuine, I don't see why one should have a problem keeping these in the glovebox.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

I thought only Karnataka and Kerala were notorious for such antics.

Originally Posted by nettooran

I guess the only thing they look for is for Pondichery registered cars.

Only high end PY registered cars in Kerala catch the attention of the cops, since many high profile Keralites starting buying luxury cars with PY registration to avoid taxes. Never heard issues with smaller cars or other registration plates.

KA was a different scenario, and they wanted to cash in on the IT crowd, but BHP'ian SILVERWOOD and team put an end to that greed.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Originally Posted by GTO

Yours is a unique situation pal. But it's not the same as a Shillong Range Rover being driven in Mumbai (distance of 2,500 km between the two). Ditto with so many Jharkhand-registered imports in Mumbai (a distance of 1,800 km).

You'd think, but its not so uncommon. This affects everyone who has a transferable job or different current and permanent addresses. This also affects all those vehicles which are registered in company name. Especially in industry, where factories are located in far-off areas due to cheaper land or labor or government incentives. This also affects tourism sector and all those 'outstation vehicles' which are harassed by greedy cops on any silly pretext

Coming to the said Range Rover and the technicality of having toll and fuel receipts. I believe all it will take to show that the vehicle has 'come to Mumbai from outside' is an entry toll receipt from the Dahisar naka and a fuel bill from outside of the municipal area. Two slips, and you are good for an year. If you own a 2crore RR, you can certainly send your car and driver outside the city every once in a while to refuel and get the toll slip in process. In any case, fuel is cheaper outside!

That said, this is really not the way to go. We talk about national integration and common taxes and doing away with red tape and points of corruption. The government should scrap this current system and have a centralized system in place for registration and road tax with flat rates applicable all over the country. Private vehicles should be allowed to ply throughout India with no restrictions.

In this era where everything is linked to your Aadhar and PAN and with the big data processing capabilities our tax authorities now have, it is not easy for a white purchase like an expensive car to be benami. Also, for most of us, The RTO our vehicle gets registered with is not a matter of choice. It is just something we have to live with, whatever it is. And for those who do have this option, those with multiple homes or businesses in different states or whatever, they should be allowed to exercise their right of purchasing their vehicle in the name or head of their choice. There is nothing illegal in it.

[greenhorn]

Originally Posted by Mortis

Pay the road tax in the state where you use the car the most.

In principle, it sounds fine, but that concept is hard to mix with the lifetime tax concept. Most of us in the IT crowd have to move around a lot - I have stayed 6+ Months in kerala, Orissa, Karnataka, and currently now in TN. If there was an annual road tax payment option, I would be more than happy to pay it where i was living. Heck, dont even mind overpaying if there is an overlap.

But lifetime tax and refund business is not practical in this time and age is not practical, and is built more with milking citizens than driving compliance in mind.

[landcruiser123]

While I think it is okay for the Local RTO to charge you tax if you drive your car for more than a certain period, I think the procedure needs to be tightened and made less cumbersome. I hate running from Pillar to Post in any government office.

Why can't there be a central authority to ensure that the correct Tax amount is transferred from one RTO to another? If there would be any adjustments, the customer would pay/get paid by a cheque?

[Sahil]

Originally Posted by GTO

The onus of proof lies with the car owner (toll slips, fuel bills etc.). If the case is genuine, I don't see why one should have a problem keeping these in the glovebox.

Agreed, owner must have some form of document proof to prove his case. However at the time of these crackdowns the cops don't care a damn and disregard any document proof that one might produce. Infact they even lie to the extent and mention false claims in the challan.

Intimidate and extort that's what their top bosses have asked them to do for the election and year end fund.

[tilt]

Well, I am planning on driving Bangalore-Bombay-Bangalore starting Feb 23 (Thursday) and back on Monday Feb 27.

I have Fastag and therefore will not have toll receipts.

My car already has a full tank of fuel and I do not expect to fill fuel until i am well into Maharashtra.

So, am I in any likelihood of being pulled over for KA plates, considering i don't necessarily have a way of proving I just entered MH a few days ago?

My RC has my Bangalore address and so does my driver's licence.

I drive a Jetta if it makes any difference. Not a very high-end car, but not low-end either, right?

Cheers

[sgiitk]

I think are we not talking about ONE INDIA. So why this game in road tax. I heard that the Mumbai Octroi was even after cars registered in a different part of Mmbai region.

Originally Posted by GTO

to this. You pay tax for the state that you drive in.

I have been guilty of trying to dodge the system by getting my 1996 Esteem with an MP-09 plate. Within a couple of years, the cops started their crackdown, I paid the MH tax and got MH plates.

If someone is genuinely travelling between two states all the time and has an actual address (a lot of these cars are registered on fake addresses), then it's okay. But be prepared to show toll receipts, address proof, fuel bills etc. whenever you are pulled over. Honestly, it's too much of a hassle.

You pay tax for the state that you drive in. Are we not all driving in India? So why this chauvanism.

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

You'd think, but its not so uncommon. This affects everyone who has a transferable job or different current and permanent addresses. This also affects all those vehicles which are registered in company name. Especially in industry, where factories are located in far-off areas due to cheaper land or labor or government incentives. This also affects tourism sector and all those 'outstation vehicles' which are harassed by greedy cops on anyYou pay tax for the state that you drive in. silly pretext

Take the case of Army chaps, who are posted all over. Now do they sell their car at every transfer (Army canteen rules may not even allow this). There are many services and professionals who move across states. I know people who have got their firms registered outside MH since registration can be in the HO. Also, many professions like in IT move across states.

Why can we not do away with this type of archaic policies. With the modern systems, we need the following:

1. Networking of local RTOs within the State and the country. I think the first part seems to have been done, so the second part is awaited.

UK has a DVLC in Swansea, handling all licensing of individuals, and vehicles. We are too big for a centralized authority, but a network should be possible. Can we not use our UP mobile in Andamans, so the networking exists except in the bloated and fried brains of our babudom?

2. Rationalization of road tax across the land. Should be done under the GST. Same road tax wherever you are Then this chauvinism will reduce to a vast degree, as will the demand for local taxes. Also, will curb the menace of false addresses on odcuments.

3. MH is some respects is the most primitive, most states have done away with Octroi and other LBTs. Not MH.

What are the main areas which are out of GST - road transportation, fuel and alcohol. Biggest cash cows for the states and esp the correct system.

[scorpian]

I agree with MH being archaic and tough to talk to even if you have documentary evidence to prove your case.I used to carry all my bike papers/my receipt of joining classes etc etc.

I personally had a harrowing time while i was doing my classes in pune for a period of three months with GA registered bike.Practically i was singled out at every signal,at one point they even took my number plates as they said the fonts were not acceptable,mind you i had the largest possible fonts on both front and rear.

At one point of time i was so fedup of being caught and harassed that i thought of selling my bike off.No matter what i told them, what documents i showed them they just wouldn't listen.

In Goa i never got stopped for using a KA registered bike for over a year.Personally i think the levels of corruption with MH cops is insane.

[rakesh_r]

Originally Posted by tilt

So, am I in any likelihood of being pulled over for KA plates, considering i don't necessarily have a way of proving I just entered MH a few days ago?

Don't you get an sms when you cross through a toll gate? If not you can log in to your profile on the fastag website. This may sound funny, but a week before travelling out of station i preserve all sorts of receipts (grocery, movie tickets etc....). At the end I have my employers ID card, appointment letter and my house lease agreement to prove.
Also, if you have an android phone, you can open google maps. It has a feature called timeline which tracks your movement .

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by tilt

Well, I am planning on driving Bangalore-Bombay-Bangalore starting Feb 23 (Thursday) and back on Monday Feb 27.

My car already has a full tank of fuel and I do not expect to fill fuel until i am well into Maharashtra

Cheers

Why not top-up again even if it is just 2-3 liters?! And get the printed receipt with the car number entered in it.

You can even get the PUC test done if it is closer to expiry date or if you have not done this for a long time.

Originally Posted by rakesh_r

Don't you get an sms when you cross through a toll gate? If not you can log in to your profile on the fastag website.

We can't depend on this entirely because some times the message comes a day later and same with the updates/entries in the fastag online account.

If you have recieved the messages then its a valid proof.