The Maharashtra government has recently announced an increase in fees for “choice numbers,” commonly known as VIP numbers, for new vehicles. This adjustment will result in a revised charge of Rs 6 lakh for the highly sought-after ‘0001’ number for four-wheelers in high-demand areas such as Mumbai, Pune, and other cities.
Interestingly, the new fees mean that an out-of-series VIP number will cost up to Rs 18 lakh in major cities like Mumbai and Pune, which is equivalent to the cost of purchasing a new car in the mid-segment category.
According to a notification from the transport department dated August 30, the cost for the coveted number ‘0001’ will increase to Rs 5 lakh for four-wheelers, up from the previous Rs 3 lakh. For two and three-wheelers, the fee will double to Rs 1 lakh from the existing Rs 50,000.
In high-demand areas like Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban, Pune, Thane, Raigad, Aurangabad, Nashik, Kolhapur, and Nashik, the VIP fee for ‘0001’ will be Rs 6 lakh for vehicles with four or more wheels, up from Rs 4 lakh.
Many high net-worth individuals, top businessmen, politicians, and celebrities often opt for VIP numbers for their expensive cars, making these numbers highly sought after.
The revised fees include a ‘three-time basic fees’ charge of Rs 15 lakh for four-wheelers and more-wheeled vehicles, and Rs 3 lakh for two- and three-wheelers if the number ‘0001’ is not available in the current series for that specific type of vehicle and needs to be assigned from another series, as per the regulations.
The recent fee revision marks the first update since the last revision in April 2013. This change allows for the transfer of VIP numbers to immediate family members, including spouses, sons, and daughters, which was previously restricted.
The state government has identified 240 VIP numbers in each registration series, with popular numbers like 0009, 0099, 0999, 9999, and 0786, in addition to 0001, seeing an increase in fees to Rs 2.5 lakh for four-wheelers and more-wheeled vehicles, and Rs 50,000 for two-wheelers and three-wheelers.
Furthermore, fees for other sought-after numbers have also been raised. For 16 popular numbers, the new fee is Rs 1 lakh for four-wheelers and Rs 25,000 for two-wheelers. For 49 additional numbers, the fee has been increased to Rs 70,000 for four-wheelers and Rs 15,000 for two and three-wheelers. Another set of 189 registration numbers will now cost Rs 25,000 for four-wheelers and Rs 6,000 for two-wheelers and more than two-wheel vehicles.
In a move to benefit vehicle owners, the government has extended the period for producing a vehicle with a reserved number from 30 days to six months, as per the state government notification. There will be no reservation of VIP numbers for government vehicles, although exemptions from the payment of fees for the registration mark can be granted through special orders.
The fee increase is expected to generate additional revenue for the state transport department, which reported earnings of Rs 139.20 crore from registration number issuances in 1,83,794 cases in the 2017-18 financial year.
This adjustment in VIP number fees reflects the state government’s effort to streamline the process and generate revenue while meeting the preferences of high net-worth individuals and other VIPs who value exclusive vehicle registration numbers.