Unaware of the requirement for a registered rent agreement, migrants are often denied vehicle registration, and resort to paying off agents
Pune, with its several education institutes and a thriving IT sector, is a city that several migrants from other towns and cities call home. But for those who visit the Regional Transport Office (RTO) to register newly-purchased vehicles, there lies an experience that may make them feel not as much at home. Vijendra Singh, an IT professional who moved to the city from Patna, bought a new four-wheeler last month. While for most this would be a cause of celebration, Singh encountered a stressful experience at the RTO, where he went to register the vehicle.
“When I approached the RTO for my vehicle’s registration, they declined my request as I did not have a registered rent agreement in my name,” he said. It was what happened next that Singh found odd. “It was surprising when a tout approached me and got my work done with the same documents by charging an extra Rs 2,500.”
Singh is one amongst several residents in the city who, having moved here, have trouble finding valid documents for address proof. On an average, around 13,500 two-wheelers and 4,949 four-wheelers are added on to the city roads every month. This means 450 new two-wheelers and 165 four-wheelers a day. And more than 85 per cent of these belong to outstation students and working professionals.
While the Pune RTO accepts documents like passports, Aadhaar cards and driving licences, they are only valid if they bear an address in the city. Applicants who do not have their Pune address on their documents can provide a registered rent agreement as well.
However, several fall short again, because they only have notarised rent agreements (costing about Rs 500), which are far cheaper than registered agreements (costing between Rs 3,000-Rs 5,000). This often leads the outstation applicants to approach dealers who demand bribes to get their work done, with the documents they already possess. Applicants have been known to pay anywhere between Rs 1,000-Rs 4,000 to touts if they do not have a registered agreement.
Rishabh Shah, a working professional hailing from Delhi, thinks that people need to be made aware of what documents the RTO requires for vehicle registration, so that they do not have to resort to commissioning dealers. “After I purchased my two-wheeler, the dealer asked me to give him Rs 3,000 extra, as I only had a notarised agreement. I had no option but to shell out the extra money. Something should be done to stop this practice,” he said.
Officialspeak
Baba Shinde, a member of the All India Motor Transport Managing Committee, explained the requirement for registered rent agreements and said, “Taking the terrorist threat into consideration, last January the state government made registered rent agreements a compulsory document for registering new vehicles or applying for a driving licence.” He continued, “Because of the IT sector, many people have shifted to Pune. If they are violating the rule through agents, then it is a serious cause for concern. The rule has been made for security reasons, and the RTO should strictly follow it.”
Regional Transport Officer Jitendra Patil said he was unaware that agents charged extra from people to get their forms processed without the mandatory documents.
“I haven’t received any complaint from the citizens regarding being charged excess money if they give notarised agreement. I will look into the matter and strict action will be taken against those involved in the malpractice,” he said.
Patil added that the RTO only accepts applications with registered agreements as proof of residence, and they do not accept driving licences, or passports as proofs of address if they bear addresses outside Pune. “It is essential for an applicant to provide two documents for address proof. Registered agreement is compulsory; we do not accept notarised agreements.
If the applicant is the owner of a house in Pune then they will have to produce either the electricity bill, or the telephone bill, bank passbook or Index II as address proof. Aadhaar card, passport, driving license can be submitted as supporting documents for ID and address proof,” said Patil.
450
Number of new two-wheelers added to the city per day
165
Number of new four-wheelers added per day
85%
New vehicles owned by outstation students and pros
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