The Pune Regional Transport Office is preparing for a significant shift in its vehicle registration system as the current two-letter series is about to get exhausted.
Pune RTO officials confirmed that the office has already reached the ‘ZG’ series, leaving only a limited number of combinations before the sequence concludes at ‘ZZ’.
Once the existing format is fully utilised, expected within the next three to four months, new vehicles registered in Pune will carry a three-letter alphabetical code, marking a first for the city.
Swapnil Bhosale, Deputy Regional Transport Officer, speaking to The Free Press Journal, said, "This system is currently in place in some metropolitan regions such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Chennai."
"We have discussed with the state transport department, and a proposal will soon be submitted for approval," he added.
Bhosale said that once clearance is obtained from the relevant authorities, including the National Informatics Centre (NIC), the new three-letter registration system will be implemented without delay.
The move is expected to ensure a continued supply of unique vehicle numbers as Pune’s vehicle population continues to grow rapidly.
Vehicle registration across India follows a structured format laid down by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and managed through the National Informatics Centre. The format includes the state code, RTO code, alphabet series, and a four-digit number. In Pune’s case, the progression has moved from single-letter combinations like MH-12 A 0001 to double-letter series such as MH-12 AA 0001, and will soon transition to three-letter formats like MH-12 AAA 0001.
According to official data, Pune had over 43.5 lakh registered vehicles by the end of February. This includes nearly 30 lakh two-wheelers, over 9 lakh cars, more than 1.4 lakh auto rickshaws, and over 22,000 buses. The rapid increase in vehicle ownership, especially during festive periods, has accelerated the consumption of available registration numbers.
