Pune's MH-12 registration series runs out, RTO prepares to introduce MH-61

Punes familiar MH12 vehicle registration code is set to change after more than 37 years with the Regional Transport Office RTO preparing to introduce MH61 after exhausting the available registration combinations under the existing series reported the PTIPune is the first city in Maharashtra to run out of registration numbers under the current alphanumeric format officials said The Pune RTO also has the highest number of registered vehicles among the states RTOsA senior Pune RTO official said all 9999 numbers in the final ZZ series under MH12 were exhausted earlier this weekThe RTO has already invited applications from vehicle owners for fancy registration numbers which are issued for an additional fee Once this process is completed registrations under the new MH61 code will beginldquoRegistration of new vehicles under the MH61 code will start from Monday Currently the National Informatics Centre NIC is carrying out some backend testingrdquo an official from the Transport Commissionerrsquos office said according to the PTIPune has over 4488 lakh live vehiclesThe Pune RTO which covers Pune city and parts of Pune district currently has more than 4488 lakh live registered vehiclesPimpriChinchwad and some other parts of Pune district come under a separate RTOOfficials said a large proportion of the vehicles currently listed as active at the Pune RTO were registered after 2011 Many vehicles registered before that may have been scrapped or transferred to other locations they added the news agency reportedMH12 has been Punes identity since 1989Vehicles registered in Pune have carried the MH12 code since July 1 1989 when the Union government introduced the current vehicle registration format across the countryUnder the existing system the registration number consists of two letters identifying the state two digits identifying the RTO up to two letters and a unique number assigned to the vehicleAccording to RTO officials more than 59 lakh registration numbers can generally be generated using alphanumeric combinations excluding the letters I and O as per the PTIThree options were consideredMaharashtra Transport Commissioner Rajesh Narvekar said three alternatives had been considered as the MH12 combinations approached exhaustionThese included formats such as MH12 1A and MH12 A1 as well as introducing the new MH61 codeAn 11character MH12 AAA format had also been proposed earlier However officials said this would have required changes to the Central Motor Vehicle Rules CMVR and major modifications to the NICs system architectureThe proposal did not receive approval from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the NIC despite several meetings an official said reported the PTIMH61 to be a temporary arrangementNarvekar said MH61 would be a temporary arrangement and would remain in use until the Union government approves a new alphanumeric format that allows Pune to retain its MH12 identityHe said introducing the proposed MH12 1A format immediately would require an amendment to the CMVR which could take timeUnder the proposed format one digit and one letter would replace the existing twoletter combination This would require an amendment to the CMVR Narvekar said the news agency reportedldquoAt least 45 days will be required for issuing the notification and then inviting suggestions and objectionsrdquo he saidPush to retain MH12The move to MH61 comes even as efforts are under way to retain MH12 as Punes vehicle identityEarlier this month Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol approached Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari seeking continuation of the MH12 code for PuneGadkari responded affirmatively to the requestFor now however the RTO is preparing to begin issuing new vehicle registrations under MH61 from Monday once the ongoing backend testing and fancynumber process are completedwith PTI inputs