From April 1 new vehicles cannot run sans registration number

Bhubaneswar: In a big move, the state government has decided to implement a directive on new vehicle registration from April 1 as per which, no vehicles can be rolled out on the road until they have received a valid registration number from the regional transport authority.

As per the new order, it is mandatory for dealers to withhold the release of vehicles (except transport vehicles & those whose purchase and registration places are different) to the customer directly from the showroom until they have got a registration number.

Issuing the directive, Transport commissioner Madhusudan Padhi has asked the regional transport officers to inform the dealers of their respective areas to ensure that they strictly adhere to the order which will be effective from April 1 under Rule 42 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989.

It is to be noted that the move is to curb the practice of dealers who generally don't send the registration papers soon after the vehicle is sold. "The dealers keep the registration fees and tax revenue collected from the buyers with them and send them to the transport office as per their whims and fancies. Sometimes, the dealers submit documents of several vehicles after two to four weeks of sale," the circular issued by the government said.

The government restriction comes following several cases of vehicles plying on the roads without registration number despite payment of fees.