Pimpri-Chinchwad: RTO Rakes In ₹37 Crore From Special Vehicle Numbers In Just 10 Months

Pimpri-Chinchwad: The growing fascination with ‘special’ vehicle registration numbers is proving to be a significant source of income for Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) across the state. The situation in the RTO of Pimpri-Chinchwad is not so different from the rest of the state.

From January 2025 to October 15, the Pimpri-Chinchwad RTO has earned a revenue of ₹37.31 crore through the allocation of choice numbers. The majority of these were done during festivals like Gudi Padwa, Ramjan Eid, Dussehra, Diwali, Ganeshotsav, Christmas, and others, said RTO officials, as people buy expensive things like vehicles on holy occasions like these.  

According to RTO reports, there is a growing trend among vehicle owners to desire a favourite number. A favourite number, often referred to as a 'choice' or 'special' number, is based on things like a birth date, a wedding date, or the date of a happy event for their two-wheeler or four-wheeler. Nowadays, numbers are also demanded based on astrology and other spiritual things. There is intense ‘competition’ for these popular numbers.

The Maharashtra State Government doubled the fees for choice numbers in 2024, looking at the increasing popularity. Despite this increase, the competition to acquire favourite numbers for personal vehicles has not diminished. In fact, it is increasing day by day as people consider it a sign of richness.

For four-wheelers, the fee for the number '0001' is ₹6 lakh, which was previously ₹3 lakh. The fee for two-wheelers has also doubled. In the months of January, March, and August, the revenue from choice numbers exceeded ₹4 crore, with September recording the highest revenue at over ₹5 crore. In the last nine and a half months, the Pimpri-Chinchwad RTO has generated an income of ₹37.31 crore from the sale of choice numbers.

Officials stated that this earning is primarily due to the bidding for popular numbers like '0001' and '9999'. If multiple applications are received for a single number, a bidding process is conducted. Numbers like 0001, 9999, 0007, and 1111 are some of the famous series. Also, numbers like 0786 or 1313 are famous due to their religious importance. The bidding takes place physically at the RTO office. The number is allotted to the highest bidder. This increases competition and also raises the RTO office's income.

Deputy Regional Transport Officer Rahul Jadhav of Pimpri-Chinchwad RTO said, “The selection process for choice numbers is online. This has generated a revenue of ₹37.31 crore over the last nine and a half months. There are more than 300 choice numbers in one series."