Non-KA vehicle owners demand 'One Nation-One Road Tax' policy

The ongoing conflict between non-Karnataka (Non-KA) registration vehicles and the State Transport department doesn’t seem to end.

While the Transport department has been issuing challans and penalising vehicles registered in other states, non-KA vehicle owners, on the other hand, have been selling “Drive Without Borders - One Nation One Road Tax” car stickers.

The non-KA vehicle owners had earlier floated a petition on Change.org seeking ‘rationalisation of road tax or allow paying annual road tax for non- KA registered vehicles.’ The petition was well received with more than 55,000 signatures.

Waseem Memon, who is leading the campaign, said: “This is a fundraising campaign geared towards achieving a “One Nation-One Road Tax” policy. With this, we want to further strengthen the cause and create awareness about the taxation rule in the State vis-a-vis other states.

This will enable us to drive our cars throughout India, without being harassed by State road transport organisations.”

Enforcement drives
Meanwhile, a senior Transport department official said more than 4,000 four-wheelers had been checked during enforcement drives conducted in the past two three months. According to estimates, more than Rs 50 crore has been paid to various RTOs in the City by way of penalties and lifetime taxes from outstation vehicles.

Transport department officials say many people have now started paying their road taxes voluntarily to the respective RTOs as they are aware of the rules here. However, many people are also sending their vehicles back to their home states and are buying used vehicles registered in Karnataka.

Used car
A non-KA vehicle owner, who sent his car back to Delhi, said, “I came here on a transfer for two years. I had a small car and I realised I would be paying more tax than the actual cost of the vehicle if I used it here. So, I had to buy a second-hand vehicle for my daily commute. I had no other option,” he rued.

According to officials, in 2014-15, the Transport department collected around Rs 19 crore after seizing over 1,000 cars and two-wheelers by imposing a lifetime tax on non-KA vehicles in the City.