New registration rules for vintage vehicles creating confusion among owners
| Date :29-Jul-2022 |
By Kaushik Bhattacharya
The new registration rules notified by State Transport Commissioner for vintage or classic vehicles are creating confusion among the vintage car owners in the city due to lack of proper awareness about the changes effected by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways recently. The Ministry announced a slew of measures to preserve all privately owned automobiles older than 50 years since dates of their registration vide the Gazette Notification no. G.S.R. 492 (E) dated 15.07.2021.
Subsequent to amendment by Union Ministry, Maharashtra State Transport Department implemented the same measures from April 1, 2022. The new policy will have new clauses to bring a standard definition and how such vehicles cannot be used.
As per the changes, the Rule 81B (3) says, All those vehicles which are already registered as vintage motor vehicle shall continue to retain the original registration number and registration plate intact without any change. The Rule 81B (4) says all such vintage motor vehicles shall be exempted from the provisions of High Security Registration Plate as mandated under Rule 50.”
Similarly, the Rule 81 B (1) permits re-registration of vintage vehicles with the series like MH (Maharashtra) VA (for vintage) YY (city code) and **** (serial number). This, however, is meant only for vintage vehicles which do not have valid registrations or papers and an application is made by the owner as per Form 20.
The Regional Traffic Office (RTO) in Nagpur is treating all vintage vehicles under the Rule 81B (1) only and issuing new registration numbers to those vehicles which already have old registration papers,” Dr Anjan Chatterjee, Secretary, Central India Vintage Automotive Association, Nagpur, told The Hitavada.
Violating the Rule 81 B(3) an (4) provisions, the RTO officials here are re-registering all such vintage vehicles, irrespective of the fact as to whether these are with or without valid registrations and registration plates,” claimed Dr Chatterjee.
A total of 44 vintage automobile clubs and associations including CIVAA from all over India had pleaded Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, for preservation of the old assigned registrations and the old RC and TC books for all vintage vehicles to which he had agreed, said Dr Chatterjee.
The Nagpur RTO should take corrective steps to de-register all such vintage vehicles with valid registrations. Those vehicles that wrongly registered with the MH/VA/YY/**** numbers and re-assign their older valid registrations and number plates with immediate effect,” he demanded.
According to Nagpur RTO, there is no vehicle so far that is registered in city which had authentic vintage registration papers. "We have so far re-registered those vehicles only which have no papers. The owners had no document that proves the vehicle was a vintage one. Nagpur RTO have the old record of vintage vehicles and the 81B (3) and (4) will be implemented on those vehicles only which have details in the record,” said Harshal Dake, Assistant RTO, Nagpur.
