The State Lorry Owners Federation – Tamil Nadu (SLOFT) has expressed its opposition to the proposed hike in renewal fees for 15 and 20-year-old vehicles and demanded a reduction.
A notification by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on February 7, proposing amendments to the Central Motor Vehicle Rules of 1989, suggested an increase in renewal fees for vehicles aged between 9 and 20 years. The Ministry has also invited the public to submit any objections or suggestions regarding the draft rules within 30 days.
According to the notification, the fee for obtaining a renewal certificate of registration for 15-year-old heavy goods vehicles will be ₹18,000, and for 20-year-old vehicles, it will be ₹36,000.
Similarly, the fee for fitness certificates for heavy vehicles between 9 and 20 years of age is proposed to rise from ₹400 to ₹10,000. For vehicles older than 20 years, the fee will be ₹25,000.
Terming the proposed hike as abnormal and harmful to the livelihoods of lorry owners, the SLOFT has demanded that the Union Government reduce the hike.
SLOFT president C. Dhanaraj stated that the Union Government already intends to send vehicles older than 15 years to scrap. Through this proposed hike, the government is effectively forcing lorry owners to scrap their vehicles on their own.
Currently, ₹850 is collected for renewing registration certificates for lorries, but the Union Government proposes to increase this to ₹18,000 and ₹36,000 for vehicles 15 and 20 years old respectively. In Tamil Nadu, vehicles over 15 and 20 years old are primarily used as goods shed vehicles, transporting goods from railway yards or ration shops and godowns, and are mostly operated by individual owners.
“At present, a lorry owner spends between ₹15,000 and ₹25,000 to obtain a renewal fitness certificate. However, the proposed rules will force lorry owners to spend around ₹50,000 annually. The actual value of these older vehicles is approximately ₹2 to 3 lakh. Therefore, the Union Government should reduce this fee to protect the livelihoods of thousands of lorry owners in Tamil Nadu. We will raise objections to this notification with the Ministry,” Mr. Dhanaraj added.
Published - February 11, 2025 06:22 pm IST
