Non-KA registration vehicle owners to petition Prez against State RTOs

 Harassed vehicle owners, with non-Karnataka registration, are up in arms. 

Roiled by the dubious ways being adopted by the State transport department to collect lifetime taxes from them, they have taken their fight to the virtual world on Facebook.

The “Justice for Non-KA Registration Owners” initiated by Waseem Memon, has registered 2,733 members. 

Likewise, an online petition on Change.org has sought “rationalisation of road tax or allow paying annual road tax for Non KA registered vehicles.” 

It has more than 3,000 signatories. The group also plans to submit a 20-page memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee listing out the harassment being faced by them.

Litany of woes 

This includes RTO’s employing touts to stop vehicles by jumping in front the car, authorities manhandling women, outstation cars being moved to nearest BMTC bus depot and released only after life time tax is paid, RTO authorities barging into residential apartments to stick their notices on cars demanding life time tax; car service centres being exhorted to stop vehicles at the gate etc. 

Besides, RTO inspectors, it is learnt, employ touts to harass vehicle owners at residential apartments, office parking lots, to cough up the tax, as also documents pertaining to workplace such as identity cards, access cards being whisked away by the officials. 

While amended rules allow outstation vehicles to ply for 30 days, after which they need to pay the lifetime road tax, many outstation vehicle owners, who come for short stay mainly for training or project work, rue that it has become a bane for them.

A majority of them claim Karnataka rules are against the recommendation of Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, wherein outstation vehicles are allowed to ply for 90 days without paying road tax.

 Transport Commissioner  Dr Ramegowda, however, averred that RTOs conducting random checks have been told to be polite and friendly with vehicle owners.  

“So far, no complaints of harassment have reached me. If any is brought to my notice, action will be taken,” he said.