[ambivalent_98]

Hello fellow out-state-staying-driving-in-Bangalore-TBHPians. I am of this category where I have been driving my Pune registered car here in Bangalore for almost 2 years. So far my stars have been lucky and I have been caught twice. Both times for film. The third time was completely discriminatory because I was caught along with one "KL" and one "AP" car and all three of us were fined 100 rupees for taking a left turn even when the light was green. The local cabbies who turned were obviously allowed to pass without a hitch and the three of us united to fight and gave into 100 rupees each from a steep 500 and the reason being breaking a red-light.
So far my experience in KA has been a mixed bag. Most of the times the cops are too busy monitoring traffic and they usually don't catch out state vehicles (private at least). Another factor is that if you argue and try to challenge them for the rules for the film part of it at least they just barge their way blabbering in Kannada and raising their voice. Once when I told them the film was RTO approved and my car was not stopped in Delhi or in Mumbai , the cop actually told me "I am RTO and I make rule , you remove film or I will cease car....". Lack of the local language is mostly taken advantage of. The photo part never works because the cops supposedly send you a letter / email if you have a KA registered vehicle.

One thing that I usually do to avoid any confrontation with the cops is
1) Obey traffic rules and try to blend in. I am not a forerunner in going up the wrong side of the dividers when the signal turns green.
2) I also try to avoid eye contact if the cops are looking into the car. This has saved me more than once and I got caught for the first time due to this. I stared back and the cop stopped me.
3) I always wear a seat belt (this I do everytime I get in the car so not really something only for Bangalore.)
4) Never speak on the cell phone in my car even though bus drivers and truckers are seen doing it en-masse and never get caught.
5) Never get into an argument with errant bikers however wrong they might be. Just let them pass. I don't mind being called "Captain Slow".
6) If by chance I find an empty road while going back home I never try to show off my TDI engine and 102 horses since many times the prodigal Tavera with speedgun is there at the end of the stretch waiting to catch speeding folk.
7) I always save on the toll receipts when I go and come back home. But if the 1 month rule were true it would be really nightmarish.

All these points are my practical tips for fellow BHPians who don't drive KA registered cars. Maybe some of you are already doing all this but just my 2 cents

[Rubbertramps]

Boy.. this is bad real bad. I've been driving a TN vehicle for a year now in blore and i am getting the chills on the spine. Good ol country !

Any idea how much percent of the total value of the car to be paid as the life time tax.

Does it depend on the IDV of the car?

[blacksport]

Originally Posted by pahwa

I wish the cops focused more on sorting the horrible state of traffic out, than standing in a group of 2-3, hiding behind a lorry or tree and them pouncing on as soon as they see a non-KA vehicle. The state traffic police it at its worst moral levels I have ever seen. There is no sense of duty (ofcourse with exceptions) among them.

I see a traffic cop posted at a railway gate who simply stands in a shade with a cup of tea and keeps waving onto the oncoming traffic for 12 hrs a day. The cop would wait all day for an IT professional driving a DL/AP/HR or MH vehicle to mint easy money. Needless to say, the ordinary cop owns and drives a Honda Civic! Such law amendments will boost the morale of these corrupt cops and increase the frustrations of a common tax payer.

Isn't bribery a different issue altogether? In this context a person driving an out-of-station vehicle would be happy to be stopped by a bribe-taking-cop who would ask for a 500 rupee bribe than by an honest cop who would ask him to pay life-time tax. It is not the cop that should take the blame here, but the taxation policy. Sadly there is no real solution in sight.

Originally Posted by prafulasher

Why can't there be a uniform taxation policy throughout the country?

India is a federal state and road transport is a state matter.

[ksmrsm]

This rule is being applied legally only recently. Unofficially this has been in force even from 2001 if you were unlucky. Earlier, it only used to be the TN registered vehicles thanks to the ongoing Cauvery river dispute between KA & TN. I have faced this in 2001 when I was working there and was riding a TN registered bike. There was no need to change the number or get a NOC when paying the tax and since it was a bike the life tax was not much.

My cousin too faced this issue in Hyderabad when riding a TN registered Bike. So it all depends on the guy who catches you

[sparsh]

The best way to address this is to ensure a india wide tax which permits the car to be driven anywhere in India. I still dont understand why this cant be implemented. Let the state collect the road tax on behalf of the center or the central govt, give a % to the state government. Alternately out station vehicles should be given an option to pay road tax on a yearly/half yearly basis akin to a taxi permit. This would enable folks on a short term assignment to drive peacefully.

[pahwa]

Originally Posted by blacksport

Isn't bribery a different issue altogether? In this context a person driving an out-of-station vehicle would be happy to be stopped by a bribe-taking-cop who would ask for a 500 rupee bribe than by an honest cop who would ask him to pay life-time tax. It is not the cop that should take the blame here, but the taxation policy. Sadly there is no real solution in sight.

You are right. However, sadly, the authorities keep coming up with rules like this, which support the bribery machine. The bribery is an outcome of red tapism and such anarchist rules.

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by sparsh

The best way to address this is to ensure a india wide tax which permits the car to be driven anywhere in India. I still dont understand why this cant be implemented...

Trust me brother. This is one question we all have been asking for more than a decade but with the sort of system we have I dont think that's gonna happen in another couple of decades. Disgusting

I was planning to get my car here from hometown for a period of 10-11 months(keeping in mind the 11 month law for private vehicles) as it would be lying around unused and I needed a vehicle here. But now with this ridiculous rule guess even that's out of contention. Will have to sell the car there itself at throw-away prices as my family is shifting to a different state and wont need the car anymore.What a loss

Wonder if the crack-down would be applied to bikes as well in near future?

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Trust me brother. This is one question we all have been asking for more than a decade but with the sort of system we have I dont think that's gonna happen in another couple of decades. Disgusting

I was planning to get my car here from hometown for a period of 10-11 months(keeping in mind the 11 month law for private vehicles) as it would be lying around unused and I needed a vehicle here. But now with this ridiculous rule guess even that's out of contention. Will have to sell the car there itself at throw-away prices as my family is shifting to a different state and wont need the car anymore.What a loss

Wonder if the crack-down would be applied to bikes as well in near future?

Looks like the RTO guys will target bikes as well. I own a TN registered santro. Paid LTT last year without changing the number plates. I guess that is one of the options rather than selling your car and buying a new car.
In my case if i plan to sell my vehicle, then i intend to sell it to some taxi operator in hosur. The reason being since tax has been paid in both the states he can operate without any issues.

[nithin_86]

The following link that I have posted is a petition to the Transport Minister of Karnataka to introduce a system of paying road tax on a yearly basis rather than the life time tax payment which is not possible for us to do everytime we move to a different state. One of my friends just started the petition. Requesting all team-bhp members to vote for the petition and hope that such a change comes around.

https://www.change.org/en-IN/petitio...ivate-vehicles

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by nithin_86

The following link that I have posted is a petition to the Transport Minister of Karnataka to introduce a system of paying road tax on a yearly basis rather than the life time tax payment which is not possible for us to do everytime we move to a different state. One of my friends just started the petition. Requesting all team-bhp members to vote for the petition and hope that such a change comes around.

https://www.change.org/en-IN/petitio...ivate-vehicles

I have signed the petition. In my case though i was hopeful of 6% tax being implemented at the earliest but when the RTO went on a war footing last year, went to koramanagla RTO to pay LTT for my TN registered santro.

The LTT in TN was Rs 23960, while in KA it is Rs 32407 considering 4 year depreciation.
S M Krishna hiked the road tax here to improve the infrastructure in bangalore. But after his departure things have nosedived.
The current move by RTO to collect tax if the vehicle stays beyond 30 days is nothing short of daylight robbery.

[prits_moh]

Just to focus on statistics - I think bannerghatta and hosur road are having one or two RTO checkpoints. Are there other checkpoints in other areas too ? I have noticed occasional mobile checkpoints at south end road, but they are mostly eyeing large commercial vehicles.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Looks like EC RTO collects road tax without NOC. Will Yelahanka RTO accept if I pay road tax in EC RTO and head to Yelahanka RTO later for re-registration, say 6 months down the line?

[Manzone799]

Signed the petition and promoted it on Facebook, Twitter. Guys, we need to stay united against this atrocious ruling from the state RTO. We are here to work and earn a livelihood and not to transport illegal goods between states or commit crimes in Bangalore. Due to all this checking going on, I had to abandon my car at my home and come in an Auto-rickshaw to Office. Don't know, for how many days my car would remain under-cover!

[blacksport]

Originally Posted by nithin_86

The following link that I have posted is a petition to the Transport Minister of Karnataka to introduce a system of paying road tax on a yearly basis rather than the life time tax payment which is not possible for us to do everytime we move to a different state. One of my friends just started the petition. Requesting all team-bhp members to vote for the petition and hope that such a change comes around.

https://www.change.org/en-IN/petitio...ivate-vehicles

Yearly tax is not practical. Early most states had yearly tax.

It was difficult for us tax payers because every year we had to queue up to pay tax. In came the agents and we had to pay them bribe to pay tax every year.

Then there was the problem of people not paying tax yearly and then the authorities setting up checking at various places.

Now, if they introduce yearly tax only for out station vehicles, then all people will register their cars in one of the almost-nil tax states like pondicherry and then pay yearly tax in the state.

People become more innovative when faced with an adversity. Every law/tax is an adversity. We need less laws, less taxes and a smaller government. Only a complete change in the system would lead to solving this issue. Till then keep your vehicles to your state.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Looks like EC RTO collects road tax without NOC. Will Yelahanka RTO accept if I pay road tax in EC RTO and head to Yelahanka RTO later for re-registration, say 6 months down the line?

In bangalore, the RTO does not emphasis on changing the number plate to KA. What they need is money in the form of road tax. Even in my case after paying the KA LTT for my TN registered Santro, the RTO superintendent asked me if i was interested in going ahead with NOC from the parent RTO. I said "I am content with the existing number plate".

He then said " Why do you wish to loose money. If you apply for NOC, then you will get refund. Please don't think I am harassing you."

I said "Getting refund from the parent RTO is an uphill task. I wish to run the vehicle with TN number plate".

He did not say anything further. I continue to run the vehicle with TN number plate.