Pune: The response from citizens for obtaining preferred (VIP) numbers for new vehicles is increasing, and the Pune Sub-Regional Transport Office (RTO) has collected Rs. 64,53,53,891 in the last ten months.
Last year, the RTO earned Rs. 59,87,76,000 through preferred numbers. This year, Rs. 64,53,53,000 has already been collected in just ten months. Deputy Regional Transport Officer Swapnil Bhosale said that the revenue is likely to increase further by the end of this month.
Due to the increasing demand for fancy numbers, the transport department conducts auctions for such numbers. Bids worth lakhs of rupees are placed for these numbers. Bhosale clarified that the process is being conducted online to avoid crowds and disputes during the auction.
According to the directives of the central and state governments, the transport department has made High-Security Registration Plates (HSRP) mandatory for new vehicles. The vehicle's number plate is affixed according to the prescribed standards at the time of purchasing a new vehicle. This has restricted the creation of different designs based on vehicle numbers. However, the inclination of citizens to obtain preferred numbers for their vehicles has not decreased. This is generating significant revenue for the Pune RTO.
Meanwhile, citizens are demanding that the auction process also be conducted through an online system, considering the demand and increasing crowds, so that they do not have to visit the RTO repeatedly.
Preferred Fancy Numbers:
Numbers representing birth dates, wedding dates, lucky numbers, or repeating digits (1111, 9999), as well as single-digit numbers like one, two, seven, and nine, are in high demand. Pune RTO officials said that citizens are bidding lakhs of rupees in the auctions for these numbers.
Swapnil Bhosale, Deputy Regional Transport Officer, Pune, said, “The demand for preferred numbers is increasing. The process is being conducted through auctions after inviting online applications. Compared to last year, the highest revenue has been generated in the last ten months alone. The revenue is likely to increase further by the end of the month.”
