A high-security registration plate is being fixed on a vehicle in Pune
An RTO official said MH 12 could return in a month or two, as the agency has proposed an alphanumeric series. The TOI recently reported that a permanent solution — an alphanumeric series such as MH 12 1A — is currently with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highway. Pune RTO sees around 1,600-1,700 vehicle registrations per day. RTO sources said dealers were likely to be able to apply for regular MH 61 registrations online by late evening on Aug 31 after the choice-number auction concludes.
The official said the RTO is hopeful that its proposed series would be approved by the ministry. A senior RTO official said, “The new series has been opened and will soon be available for regular buyers of two-wheelers and cars. Dealers, however, said the disruption was already affecting customers and could create a backlog. No one wanted to wait for days to take a new vehicle home after paying for it,” said a two-wheeler showroom representative in Hadapsar. “The dealer said they were unable to complete registrations online and that even if I paid for the car, I would not be able to take it home. The RTO should have anticipated this and sorted it out earlier,” he said. If not, major problems would arise,” another dealer said.
Under the rules, officials cannot hand over a new vehicle to a buyer until it has a registration number. There would be some inconvenience, but it was only for a few days. “We have walk-in customers ready to buy vehicles, but we have to inform them about the issue. They have been angry and disappointed. I had no choice but to wait. Dealers have particularly been concerned about the approaching festive season, when vehicle sales typically surge. “Ganapati festival is nearing, followed by Dhanteras and Diwali. People buy a lot of vehicles during this period. Is the RTO guaranteeing that everything will be normal from Sept?
A Koregaon Park resident who planned to buy a car on Wednesday said his dealer called him and asked him to wait until the month-end.
We have had Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol claiming that he talked to Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari about the issue and that MH 12 would be restored. However, this attitude was nothing, but pompous as they have failed to solve the problem which has cropped up due to negligence,” the dealer said. “Ideally, the RTO should have been ready with a solution to deal with this.