Scramble for Licence, Touts Make a Killing

‘Agents’ Spike Rates for Dls, Registration & Insurance Papers in City as Many Desperate Vehicle Owners Look for Short-cuts

- Chayyanika Nigam

MANOJ Kumar is a worried man. His KTM 200 is registered with the Regional Transport Office (RTO) in South Delhi’s Sheikh Sarai. But he has moved to Ghaziabad’s Indirapuram.

“I need a new Registration Certificate (RC) as the print on the smart card is not readable. But I don’t have a permanent address in Delhi. A vehicle’s address change is a tedious task. And I can’t afford to pay the new, steeper fine. I had no option… I turned to a tout,” said the 30year-old MNC executive.

Kumar is not alone. There are many desperate vehicle owners looking for such short-cuts after the Amended Motor Vehicles Act came into force on September 1.

It aims at stricter punishment for violation of traffic regulations to reduce fatalities and ensure discipline on roads. Under the new MV Act, the penalty for driving without a Driving Licence (DL) has gone up to Rs 5,000 from Rs 500.

If driving without an RC, one has to pay Rs 5,000. Earlier, it was only Rs 200. The fine for driving without insurance papers has increased to Rs 2,000 from Rs 1,000. A second violation will attract a fine of Rs 4,000.

TOUTS MAKE HAY

And touts have promptly increased rates for DLs, RCs and insurance papers, a Mail Today investigation has revealed.