Post-digitisation, vehicle registration gets tougher

Amit Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 22

In the process of digitising the system, the Transport Department of Jammu and Kashmir has made it more complicated for the public to register their vehicles as it take more visits to the Regional Transport Office (RTO) to complete the online process.

The department, which has started digitising the system, has made almost everything online as people have to apply online for a driving licence, its renewal and for the registration of the vehicle.

The department has now given exclusive rights to vehicle dealers to collect a token tax and issuance of temporary numbers on the sale of new vehicles after which the customers do not have to deposit the token at the RTO. But despite paying the token to the dealer, the customer has to visit the office for vehicle inspection.

The department has started another facility for customers of informing them about the registration of their vehicle through SMS. But despite getting information, the customer has to visit the office to deposit fee for the high-security number plate (HSPN) for the vehicle on which the date and time for fitment will be indicated.

The process doesn’t stop here. The customer has to visit the HSNP fitment centre to install the plate and get the receipt of fitment. The receipt has to be deposited at the RTO after which the office prints the registration certificate.

“What kind of digitisation is this? It should have made the process more convenient and time-saving for the customers as well as the department but this has become harassment for the customers,” said Sushil Raina, a customer at the Jammu RTO.

“It has become a big task to get the vehicle registered. It took me almost a month to get the registration certificate of my new vehicle,” he added.

The department, however, calls it a much convenient service for the customers as they do not have to make a file of documents.

“The customer does not have to make a file and complete documents for submission at the RTO office. They just have to visit there for the inspection of the vehicle after which they get the SMS of their registration number,” said Saugat Biswas, Transport Commissioner.

“We have made it mandatory to get a receipt of installation of high-security number plates to get the registration certificate as people were not installing them,” he added.