[swiftnfurious]

I got a doubt - please clarify. The road construction / maintenance has to be carried out by the PWD right? Does RTO fund the PWD for this? How does the tax collected (by RTO) translate into motorable roads?

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

How does the tax collected (by RTO) translate into motorable roads?

Well, if road tax was directly proportional to road condition we should be having roads made of Italian Marble in Bangalore.

Anyways, a friend posts in FB that RTO check is going on in Electronic city phase 1&2.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Well, if road tax was directly proportional to road condition we should be having roads made of Italian Marble in Bangalore...

Well, that was a genuine question and NOT checking why don't we have great roads.

Just wanted to know the process / connection between the road maintenance and RTO.

[Anoopscv]

Originally Posted by fundagenie

........... It looks like the RTO is going to make a lot of money today if they are there for another hour.
FundaG

One of my friend visited electronic city RTO office in the afternoon to submit the ownership transfer form for his car found around 15-17 persons in queue to pay the LTT. He got to know that there is also a special squad to drive this activity. Looks like all were caught today!

[Thumping Soul]

Today afternoon, around 2pm, saw an RTO Bolero right outside Gate No. 13 of Wipro EC campus outside the MLCP. Few cars had been stopped on either sides of the road. Seems KA 51 is on a very strong drive, but targeting the helpless IT junta, who aren't actually the tax offenders.

Most of them would have bought their cars/motor cycles through loans and even the road tax would have been paid through a loan. The only reason they have these cars with them because its impossible for majority of this crowd to service another car loan. The actual offenders are those registering high-end cars in Pondichery or TN to save on taxes. But they aren't ever stopped.

This is nothing but exhortion, in my opinion.

[blacksport]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

I got a doubt - please clarify. The road construction / maintenance has to be carried out by the PWD right? Does RTO fund the PWD for this? How does the tax collected (by RTO) translate into motorable roads?

As far as I know all tax collections go to the govt, and the govt makes appropriate allocations to different sectors. That is what the finance minister does in the budget presentation. So there is no direct relation between road tax collected and money spent on roads.

[asdon]

Originally Posted by Thumping Soul

Today afternoon, around 2pm, saw an RTO Bolero right outside Gate No. 13 of Wipro EC campus outside the MLCP. Few cars had been stopped on either sides of the road. Seems KA 51 is on a very strong drive, but targeting the helpless IT junta, who aren't actually the tax offenders.

Most of them would have bought their cars/motor cycles through loans and even the road tax would have been paid through a loan. The only reason they have these cars with them because its impossible for majority of this crowd to service another car loan. The actual offenders are those registering high-end cars in Pondichery or TN to save on taxes. But they aren't ever stopped.

This is nothing but exhortion, in my opinion.

I disagree with this point, no one is helpless, and I have friends working in higher positions in multinationals and can afford to pay KA road tax any day but want to play hide & seek with HR26 & UP16 cars. Yes the guys with PY01 are also offender but same has others. As a Karnataka resident I would like to see everyone who is using KA roads for years must pay equal amount of tax, debate can be on the tax amount Karnataka Govt charges on all cars, but that is a different issue.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by asdon

I disagree with this point, no one is helpless, and I have friends working in higher positions in multinationals and can afford to pay KA road tax any day but want to play hide & seek with HR26 & UP16 cars. Yes the guys with PY01 are also offender but same has others. As a Karnataka resident I would like to see everyone who is using KA roads for years must pay equal amount of tax, debate can be on the tax amount Karnataka Govt charges on all cars, but that is a different issue.

I am yet to see the RTO authorities catch the owner of an Audi or BMW with PY registration.

[lurker]

Indian middle class it seems has become 'over-compliant' and are now gamed by every tom, dick, & harry which includes the KA govt. Already burdened with taxes, the middle class is now regarded as non-complaining over-compliant crowd by our mighty rulers who sit on judgement of our destiny.

The national joke that is petrol pricing is being perpetrated on this middle-class everyday and there is nary a squeak and not a single whimper of protest anywhere except in certain states which have routinely protesting political parties at play, elsewhere it seems there are no issues with any rule or any dictat by the govt. In this case the low-hanging fruits are the IT crowd and are ripe, juicy ready to be plucked at convenience. The pitch of these perpetrators is 'yeh kya bigad lenge hamara'. (what will they do to us). When a middle-class IT bakra goes forth and pays up LTT, he will queer the pitch for the rest and the assaulters will get more confident and aggressive.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by blacksport

As far as I know all tax collections go to the govt, and the govt makes appropriate allocations to different sectors. That is what the finance minister does in the budget presentation. So there is no direct relation between road tax collected and money spent on roads.

Which means that there is NO proper accountability for the cash collected Vs used for the development of roads! Hmm! Just doesn't sound right.

[asdon]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

I am yet to see the RTO authorities catch the owner of an Audi or BMW with PY registration.

You have to spend some time in between Chandapura and Veerasandra Singal(just before toll road starts on Hosur Road), I have seen many PY01 Audis, which now come for servicing just on the opposite side where new Audi service center has started, get checked by RTO+Traffic Police.

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by asdon

I disagree with this point, no one is helpless, and I have friends working in higher positions in multinationals and can afford to pay KA road tax any day but want to play hide & seek with HR26 & UP16 cars. Yes the guys with PY01 are also offender but same has others. As a Karnataka resident I would like to see everyone who is using KA roads for years must pay equal amount of tax, debate can be on the tax amount Karnataka Govt charges on all cars, but that is a different issue.

The cost of transporting car from HR, UP etc is not less. Still they bring cars mostly because they already have a car and can not afford a new one. I don't think anyone will take the risk of other state registration to save two or three percent. Very few come here to settle down, others move to another city/state/country as and when work demands.

Why a person on short assignment should pay taxes for life? I have a friend who worked at Kochi, Hyderabad and Bangalore within four years. How much should he shell out if all RTOs demand LIFE tax? Or should he change car every year? Now he is planning to go abroad.Everybody here knows how difficult is the process of refund .

If KA can collect taxes on yearly basis, people will happily adhere. But they are not ready to take the effort of maintaining data.

Sorry to say, KA is doing all possible ways to milk this floating population.

Case is different with PY cars but how many of them are stopped?

[Chalu]

My Take on this issue is
Law might be unfair but we need to address it using right channels by filing PIL etc..
But dodging to pay taxes is illegal and Team BHP being a respected automotive forum which must not be used by people providing ideas on how to dodge the law by not paying taxes.

Genuine motorists coming into Bangalore are getting affected due to majority of our folks don't want to pay the road tax. When people move to Bangalore for greener pastures consider extra costs like movement of household goods, Children school admission etc but they don't want to take into consideration the cost of paying road tax. Also when people negotiate during their salary they need to consider these costs and talk to the company for reimbursement of road tax along with Relocation charges.

I work for a BIG IT company in RMZ ecospace where I have noticed many cars registered outside Karnataka in my parking lot where people are working here for more than 3 years but they don't want to pay the road tax.

End of my POV

[Thumping Soul]

A news article, i just came by and thought worth sharing

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/banga...w/38221205.cms

[sachinpk]

Originally Posted by humyum

You are not at fault and you are within their framework of nonsensical laws too, don't pay anything and if need be register a police complaint against these bafoons, contact a news paper and make sure you show them what an educated Indian can do.

Sir, police and RTO are all part of the Home Ministry in Karnataka state. Do you think we can play police against the RTO and scoot? No way. The RTO has every authority to stop any vehicle, check documents and ensure the tax dues for KA state are paid up. The law can be unfair, but unfair laws have to be changed in a different way. Such emotional responses would not work out.

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

The road construction / maintenance has to be carried out by the PWD right? Does RTO fund the PWD for this? How does the tax collected (by RTO) translate into motorable roads?

It is just one part of RTO's job to ensure that the vehicle taxes are collected. Taxes are like income for the government. How the government spends the money it received as taxes is its discretion. How ever this is explained during the annual budget sessions. So accountability is there. You can file an RTI application with PWD to see what is the fund allocation for the year. But we as citizens cannot say that the tax paid by us, has to be spent for things which those citizens like. States like TN and KL make huge money buy selling liquour. But that cannot be used by drunkards to demand special facilities, or more bars for them to enjoy .

Which means that there is NO proper accountability for the cash collected Vs used for the development of roads! Hmm! Just doesn't sound right.

Incorrect. A state government does list out all the relevant details in the budget presentation sessions. Infact that is why budget sessions are an important event. The state does list out its plans to generate more revenue, and its plans for expenditure. These are all collated from various departments. You also have the very powerful tool of RTI (Right to Information Act) using which you can get department wise information. So if you really want to know how much funds BBMP has been allocated for road repairs, you can file an RTI application. They are duty bound to give you the information. "Ask and ye shall receieve..." .

Originally Posted by Thumping Soul

Seems KA 51 is on a very strong drive, but targeting the helpless IT junta, who aren't actually the tax offenders.

Allow me to disagree please. Last year there was a similar drive. Two of my friends who are working in IT industry (big India based MNCs) were caught and forced to pay tax. Both these heroes have been using their KL registered cars for more than two years. One chap even had a flat in Bangalore. So there is certainly another aspect to this, it is not one-way show with the RTO playing the villain.

Originally Posted by Chalu

I work for a BIG IT company in RMZ ecospace where I have noticed many cars registered outside Karnataka in my parking lot where people are working here for more than 3 years but they don't want to pay the road tax.

Exactly my friend!! This is the case with pretty much every IT company. And we blame the RTO for planning special checks at these very points. The RTO people are not dumbos, they really know who are the road tax evaders.