Nagpur: The Maharashtra Government has increased fees for “choice numbers,” commonly known as VIP numbers, for new vehicles, resulting in a revised Rs 6 lakh fee for the highly sought-after ‘0001’ number for four-wheelers in high-demand cities like Nagpur, Mumbai and Pune. An out-of-series VIP number can now cost up to Rs 18 lakh, equivalent to the price of mid-segment cars. This adjustment followed the Transport Department’s notification issued on August 30.
The cost for the ‘0001’ number will rise to Rs 5 lakh for four-wheelers, up from the previous Rs 3 lakh.
For two and three-wheelers, the fee will increase to Rs 1 lakh, up from the current Rs 50,000. For high-demand areas such as Nagpur, Mumbai, Pune, Thane, and others, the ‘0001’ will now be Rs 6 lakh, up from Rs 4 lakh for four-wheelers.
Many high-net-worth individuals, top businessmen, politicians, and celebrities prefer VIP numbers for their expensive cars. The revised “three-time basic fees” will be Rs 15 lakh for four-wheelers if the ‘0001’ number is unavailable in the current series and needs to be issued from another series. For two- and three-wheelers, this fee is set at Rs 3 lakh.
The updated fees mean that an out-of-series VIP number now costs up to Rs 18 lakh in major cities, including Nagpur, Mumbai and Pune. Previously, this fee was Rs 12 lakh, a sum paid by entities like Reliance Industries for such numbers in recent years. Additionally, the State Government now allows the transfer of VIP numbers to immediate family members, including spouses, sons, and daughters– a change from the previous restriction against such transfers.
This fee revision comes after a draft notification was issued on September 16, 2022, marking the first update since April 20, 2013. Maharashtra has identified 240 VIP numbers in each registration series. Numbers like 0009, 0099, and 9999 will see fees increase to Rs 2.5 lakh from Rs 1.5 lakh for four-wheelers and Rs 50,000 for two-wheelers and three-wheelers, up from Rs 20,000.
Fees for other sought-after numbers have also been raised. For 16 popular numbers, the new rate is Rs 1 lakh for four-wheelers, up from Rs 70,000, and Rs 25,000 for two-wheelers, up from Rs 15,000. For 49 additional numbers, the fee has increased to Rs 70,000 from Rs 50,000 for four-wheelers and to Rs 15,000 for two- and three-wheelers.
For another set of 189 registration numbers, such as 0011, 0022, 0088, and others, revised fees are Rs 25,000 for four-wheelers and Rs 6,000 for two- and three-wheelers. The government also extended the period for producing a vehicle with a reserved number from 30 days to six months.
There will be no reservation of VIP numbers for government vehicles, although exemptions from the payment of fees for the registration mark can be granted through special orders, allowing allotment from any existing series. This fee hike is expected to generate additional revenue for the state transport department, which reported earnings of Rs 139.20 crore from registration number issuances in 1,83,794 cases in the 2017-18 financial year.
