Tamil Nadu to levy road safety tax

The Tamil Nadu transport department would levy a road safety tax from August 1. The move is aimed at helping the government increase the solatium for accident victims and their families from the current Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000. According to transport minister K N Nehru, the tax would be Rs 250 for two-wheelers, Rs 1,500 for light motor vehicles and Rs 2,000 for other vehicles.

On an average 3,815 new vehicles get registered every day in Tamil Nadu, of which about 1,900 are in Chennai. The two-wheelers constitute around 70 per cent. Meanwhile, the seven state transport undertakings (STUs) plan to purchase 3,500 buses in 2009-10 with funding assistance from the Tamil Nadu Transport Development Finance Corporation and the Centre. Around 1,600 buses will be bought under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The seven STUs posted a total loss of Rs 710.14 crore last fiscal compared with Rs 379.57 crore, a year ago.