Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Jan 31: The transport department is trying to encash the opportunity created by the newfound craze of the vehicle owners to get fancy numbers. It has effected a huge hike in the charges payable by such vehicle owners.

In the recent past, there has been an increase in the number of people who want to get specific numbers for their vehicles, either because of their faith in numerology, or because of an urge to get numbers that tally with their house, telephone or mobile numbers.  Transport minister, R Ashok, informed the reporters on Friday at a press conference, that it has been decided to affect a hike in the charges payable for specific numbers.

The two-wheeler owners interested to get specific numbers have to pay the enhanced rate of Rs 6,000 instead of the earlier Rs 3,000. The charges for cars and other vehicles have also been raised to Rs 20,000 and 30,000 respectively, in place of Rs 6,000 and 9,000, he added.

There is a provision to seek a number from the series that would be adopted in future. For these numbers, the two-wheeler owners will have to pay Rs 25,000, which has been kept at par with the earlier rate. However, car and other vehicle owners will have to shell out Rs 75,000 each for such numbers, in place of the earlier Rs 25,000, he said.

Ashok said that the government has earned a revenue of Rs 10 crore out of selling fancy numbers in the current year, and it hopes to mop up additional revenue of Rs 30 crore by effecting hike in rates.