Maharashtra to give dealers authority to register vehicles; delivery time may reduce from 7 to 2 days

To give dealers the authority to register vehicles in non-transport category — vehicles with white number plates — the state has decided to amened ule 42 of the Maharashtra Motor Vehicle Rules 1989

If all goes well as per the plan chalked out by the government, then soon your automobile dealer will have the authority to register vehicles and issue registration number as well.

About 20 lakh non-transport category vehicle are registered in Maharashtra every year, including 2 lakh at four RTOs in Mumbai . (Representational photo/AP)

Once the rule is amended, customers could get faster deliveries. Sources said dealers could hand over vehicles to their customers within two days after booking against the present day waiting period of minimum seven days.

To give dealers the authority to register vehicles in non-transport category — vehicles with white number plates — the state has decided to amened ule 42 of the Maharashtra Motor Vehicle Rules 1989. The decision was taken during a meet chaired by chief secretary Sumeet Mullick. The transport department is drafting rules and inviting suggestions and objections from the people before September-end.

Refusing to divulge details, transport commissioner Praveen Gedam said a proposal is under-consideration. However, sources from transport department said the move is aimed at reducing workload on RTOS, which are short-staffed and use the existing manpower for works such as conducting vehicle fitness tests.

“It could save time and money of the customers,” said an RTO official. He, however, cautioned that chances of customers being sold damaged vehicles cannot be ruled and demanded stringent action and penalties against corrupt dealers.

Sources said since the implementation of web based VAHAN system used for vehicle registration, dealers directly receive vehicle homologation data from manufactures. The dealers cannot change it, therefore the government does not foresee any major problem giving vehicle registration powers to the dealers.