Government introduces new registration mark for personal vehicles

In order to facilitate a seamless transfer of vehicles, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has introduced a new registration mark for new vehicles -- Bharat series or BH-series.

A vehicle bearing this registration mark will not require a new registration mark when the owner of the vehicle shifts from one state to another, the official notification said.

"An IT based solution for vehicle registration is an effort to facilitate mobility. However, one of the pain points in the vehicle registration process that needed attention was re-registration of a vehicle while moving to another state," the ministry said in a statement.

Station relocation occurs with both government and private sector employees. Such movements create a sense of unease in the minds of such employees with regard to transfer of registration from the parent state to another state as, under section 47 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, a person is allowed to keep the vehicle for not more than 12 months in any state other than the state where the vehicle is registered, but a new registration with the new state- registering authority has to be made within the stipulated time of 12 months.

This vehicle registration facility under “Bharat series (BH-series)” will be available on voluntary basis to Defense personnel, employees of Ccntral government/ state government/ central/ state public sector undertakings and private sector companies/organisations, which have their offices in four or more states/Union Territories.

The motor vehicle tax will be levied for two years or in multiples of two. This scheme will facilitate free movement of personal vehicles across states/UTs of India. After completion of the fourteenth year, the motor vehicle tax shall be levied annually and shall be half of the amount which was charged earlier for that vehicle.