Facebook drive strikes a chord with motorists

Shubhadeep Choudhury

“Congrats Waseem. This will greatly strengthen our case,” reads a comment on the Facebook page of Drive Without Borders launched by Bengaluru-based Waseem Memon.

Memon’s slogan of “one nation, one road tax” (road tax paid for a vehicle at the time of its registration should hold good if the vehicle is shifted to another state also) has struck a chord with many motorists in Bengaluru.

Memon’s latest post on the Facebook page in question was an image of a news report about the Telengana Government considering allowing vehicles from other states to pay annual tax (instead of lifetime tax which means road tax for 15 years) at a minimal rate and relaxing the harsh deadline of 30 days given for re-registration vehicles from other states plying in Telengana.

Launched earlier this year, Memon’s page has over 30,000 members. The post on the Telengana government’s proposed move has attracted over a thousand “likes” and numerous comments.

Karnataka, too, has 30-day deadline for re-registration of outstation vehicles plying in the state. If a vehicle owner does not have all the papers required for re-registration, he/she is asked to simply pay the lifetime tax. A strong group has emerged in Bengaluru which wants the government policy on “non-Karnataka vehicles” changed. Bengaluru, thanks to its booming economy, attracts professionals from all parts of India. They often bring their cars which may be already registered in another state.

In the hustle and bustle of moving to another city, they forget to ask their employers to cover the cost of re-registering their vehicles in Karnataka. Many people also move to Bengaluru after finding fresh employments and for them the question of asking their new employers pay for re-registration of their vehicles in Karnataka does not arise.

Lifetime tax on vehicles is the highest in Karnataka among all states and UTs of India. Even for low-end four wheelers (costing Rs five lakh or less), it is 13 per cent of the cost of the vehicle. On top of that a cess is levied. Newcomers – including those from the IT industry who enjoy the reputation of being ‘well paid’ – find it difficult to arrange that kind of money offhand. But they risk facing the consequences.

According to a report, more than 4,000 four-wheelers were subjected to check during enforcement drives conductedby transport department officials in Bengaluru in the past two months. Over Rs 50 crore wascollected from owners of vehicles registered outside Karnataka during these drives.

Memon and his comrade are trying to retaliate by selling “Drive Without Borders - One Nation One Road Tax” car stickers. Memon wants to collect one lakh signatures in a petition he and his friends have drawn up and submit it to Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari for a change in government policy .