Vashi RTO earned ` 3.58 crore from fancy numbers last year

PREMIUM PRICE Screening of the available fancy numbers brought transparency in the process

The regional and transport office (RTO) in Vashi earned Rs3.58 crore only from fancy numbers or VIP numbers which they issued to motorists in 2015.

According to RTO sources, a total of 3,391 vehicle owners opted for numbers like 111, 222, 555 among others in 2015.

The number of such vehicle owners was just 2,766 in 2014 and the RTO earned Rs2.67 crore by issuing VIP numbers to them that year.

If a vehicle owner asks for a fancy or VIP number, he or she has to pay Rs75,000 for a fourwheeler and Rs25,000 for a twowheeler. The RTO officials had earlier put a television screen at its Vashi office displaying the fancy numbers available with them and the premium price to acquire those numbers. For example for number 1 a motorist has to pay Rs4 lakh for a four-wheeler and Rs50,000 for a two-wheeler.

“The screening of the available fancy numbers brought transparency in the process of issuing such numbers and also attracted more vehicle owners to buy numbers of their choice. It resulted in more revenue for the office. Motorists who opt for fancy and VIP numbers are mostly businessmen. Some of them are also politicians,” said an RTO official from Vashi.

According to the officials, the revenue of Vashi RTO decreased in 2013 because of the local body tax (LBT) introduced in the NMMC jurisdiction. “Several purchasers registered their vehicles at other places of Maharashtra where there was no LBT. Therefore, our revenue generation was slightly low in 2013. Still we managed to earn Rs2.48 crore by issuing fancy or VIP numbers,” he added.

After LBT was scrapped, more people are coming to register their vehicles at Vashi office from different places. In 2015, as many as 31,632 motorists registered their vehicles in this office as opposed to 27,980 vehicles registered in 2014.

“Nowadays many people consider their vehicles as status sym- bol and keep changing them in two to three years. Those who sell a good car just within two years to purchase a new one do not think much to spend a few more thousand rupees for procuring one VIP number. We think, this is also one of the reasons why demand for such numbers is increasing day by day,” another officer said.