Fancy numbers for vehicles in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam: Vizagities can now make payments for fancy numbers of their vehicles as the transport department has decided to resume the allocation of fancy numbers after a gap of over an year.

The online vehicle registration system at the time of purchase of vehicle in showrooms has minimised delays, but vehicle owners struggled a lot to get fancy numbers.

Now the owners of vehicles can choose  fancy numbers at the time of purchase of the vehicle at showrooms by paying the required amount in the form of Demand Draft of nationalised banks to take part in the sealed cover bidding to claim the number.

Inordinate delay by the Road Transport Authority in developing new software to allocate fancy numbers through e-auction (online) has hit the revenue of the transport department and vehicle owners are also struggling to get the numbers.

Over 2,000 fancy numbers are yet to be sold and Rs 100 crore revenue was affected to the RTA. Stung by criticism from fancy number lovers, the transport department is  planning to allocate fancy numbers in the old method to cash in on the craze.

At present, those who want a fancy number for cars and bikes have to chose it at showrooms during the purchase of vehicle. Once the process is complete, the vehicle owner has to deposit the fee for the fancy number (ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000, depending on the fancy number).

“If one choses a particular fancy number, we will allocate it. In case more people ask for the same number, we will allot the number by conducting sealed cover auction. We are also waiting for some clarity in this regard,” said deputy transport commissioner S. Venkateswara Rao.