Fancy car numbers to be auctioned

From Tuesday, people who want a fancy number for their four wheelers need to bid for it as the transport department on Monday launched the daily auction system to mop up more revenue.

At present, the numbers are being alloted on a first-come-first-served basis and the department on an average earns Rs 12-13 crore annually.

People can choose a number from the existing series and an advance series as well.
Vehicle owners can choose from among 1,000 numbers from the last assigned number in the serial order through auction at any of the RTO/ARTO offices in the state. 

Registration numbers beyond 1,000 numbers commencing from the last assigned number in the serial order in current series and advance series can be obtained through auction at the transport commissioner’s office here.

Along with the application, one will have to furnish a demand draft of Rs 20,000 for the number in current series and Rs 75,000 for a number in advance series.

Explaining the procedure, Transport Commissioner Ramegowda said bids can be dropped into a drop box at the respective RTO/ARTO/ commissioner’s office before noon everyday and the box will be opened at noon the same day in the presence of the applicants or their representatives.

When more than one application is received for a particular registration number, applicants will have to file a tender in a closed envelope along with the bid amount in the form of a demand draft drawn in favour of jurisdictional RTO/ARTO and it has to be put into the drop box the same day.

The drop box will be opened later on the same day.
The highest bidder will be confirmed and receipt along with the allotment letter will be issued the same day. The demand draft of unsuccessful bidders will be returned.

 
The successful bidder will have to register the vehicle within 90 days, failing which the fee and the bid amount will stand forfeited and the number will again be open for re-allotment. Ramegowda said that such an system exists in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
DH News Service