PANAJI
The state government has temporarily suspended online bidding for choice registration numbers on the VAHAN portal, as well as the retention of these numbers, owing to technical glitches in the NIC software.
“The module is available on VAHAN and worked properly during testing, but technical issues with the NIC software suddenly surfaced. Experts are working to rectify these problems. The system will soon be made available to the public once resolved,” an official told 'The Goan'.
The state government, on October 8, notified the amended Goa Motor Vehicle Rules by introducing several changes, including updated address verification methods, revised fees for selecting registration numbers, and new guidelines for retaining registration marks. With the scheme in abeyance, the process of registration is expected to continue as per the present system.
“The (Oct 8) notification is kept under abeyance until further orders from the Government,” the department said. The transport department had been fine-tuning its existing system of allotment of registration numbers to both transport and non-transport vehicles. The official said the new system has been introduced with the objective of making the scheme more attractive and people-friendly.
The amendments revised the fee structure for choosing specific registration numbers, and the allotment is only through public e-auction on the government portal. The fees for select numbers are also determined through public e-auction.
The highest “upset fees/price” for registration marks from 0001 to 0009 and with figures “0786” for non-transport four-wheelers has been set at Rs 1 lakh each. For retaining registration marks when purchasing new vehicles, the retention fee has been set at 25 per cent of the specific fee for the chosen category. The government issued a draft notification in August inviting public feedback, following which these final amendments were made.
