Now, get fancy vehicle number via online auction

Now, you no longer need to pull a few strings or flex muscles get a VIP number for your vehicle. You can simply make a bid via online auction from next week.

Now, you no longer need to pull a few strings or flex muscles get a VIP number for your vehicle. You can simply make a bid via online auction from next week.

The new scheme aims to avoid unwarranted pressure on officers for VIP numbers and also increase revenue.

A software for this is under trial by the transport department and is likely to be open for public in July. The new scheme aims to avoid unwarranted pressure on officers for these numbers and also increase revenue.

Numbers are very dear

Numbers are very dear to vehicle owners. In Chandigarh, where auction of number is already being done, a two-wheeler owner gave away ₹8.2 lakh. The vehicle owner had a passion for VIP numbers and to get the number 0001 he gave away a hefty amount in the auction.

VIP numbers in each series have higher but a fixed price, which in Uttar Pradesh are booked online via first come first serve basis. Those interested in these numbers such as 0786, 0214, 8888, 0001, 0010, 0100, 1100 and many more make an attempt to get them and often the staff of the transport office comes under pressure to issue such a number to a particular person. The auction system will avoid such pressure .

The software under trial has been fed with the 343 VIP numbers for the trial. At present, proxy auction is being conducted and feasibility of the software is being checked. Once the trial is successful, the auction page will be added to the department’s website. This will take a week or two.

These numbers have been divided into four categories with base prices of ₹3,000, ₹6,000, ₹7,500 and ₹15,005. Bidders have to quote price above these base prices for the number falling in each category. The one with highest bid will get the number allotted. For each number to get auctioned, at least three bidders are mandatory, else bidding will not be completed.

For each bidding round, the number shall get displayed on the website for four days and it will accept bids from registered bidders. Registration cane be done with a payment of ₹5,000. Sanjay Nath Jha, RTO (IT cell) said that if the top bidder failed to deposit the quoted amount within one week, the number would be allotted to the second highest bidder.

Officials hope this system of auction will put an end to pressure tactics by vehicles owners at the counters at RTO office.