RTA registers 61 per cent jump in vehicle tax collections in Telangana

The department has collected nearly Rs 6,390.80 crore up to March during the financial year 2022-23 as against Rs 3,971.38 crore in the previous fiscal year

Hyderabad: The Road Transport Authority (RTA) registered about 61 per cent jump in vehicle tax collections in the current financial year, thanks to the new life tax model and the strict enforcement against vehicle tax defaulters.

The department has collected nearly Rs 6,390.80 crore up to March during the financial year 2022-23 as against Rs 3,971.38 crore in the previous fiscal year.

---

It is observed that while the number of vehicles registered during both financial years was about eight lakh, the sharp rise in life tax paid by cars and scooters as well as quarterly taxes from transport vehicles contributed to the gains in the 2022-23 fiscal.

To crack the whip on vehicle tax defaulters, the RTA officials took up strict enforcement across the State with special teams. Each team consisting of at least four Motor Vehicle Inspectors (MVIs) stationed at important spots.

Officials had warned motorists, particularly transport vehicle drivers, to voluntarily clear their pending dues soon or hefty penalties going up to 200 per cent would be imposed if they were caught during the special drives which were conducted between February and March.

As per data available with the RTA, the life tax revenue itself was almost five times more than the quarterly taxes levied on transport vehicles during the current financial year.

Currently, the vehicle population in Telangana stands at 1.53 crore as against 1.45 crore in 2022. Of this, about 78 lakh vehicles are in Hyderabad.

The RTA officials said more vehicles registered under the higher tax slab segment helped boost revenue collection.

“We have identified that nearly 16,000 vehicles had pending taxes and penalties on them in Hyderabad alone, which forced us to take up special drives,” said an RTA official.

“If the defaulter voluntarily pays the tax, we will collect only 50 per cent penalty. If the vehicles are caught by us on roads, we will impose 200 per cent penalty apart from seizing the vehicles,” the official added.

RTA sources said about 4,758 cases were booked against defaulters during the special drives while imposing tax penalties of Rs 8 crore against them in the city alone.