GUWAHATI, April 18 - Senior transport officials of 26 states which met here today as part of the two-day meeting of the extended Group of Ministers mooted revision of the vehicle tax structure and ease of conditions for transfer and renewal of driving license and vehicle registration.
Sources said several states also demanded the Central Government to make it mandatory for e-rickshaws to procure permits and ply only on notified routes as it was not safe for the vehicles to ferry passengers on highways and major roads.
�The vehicles should be used only as last mile connectivity. Several states have made a demand to notify the permit system for e-rickshaws in the motor vehicle rules, citing accidents involving them,� the sources told The Assam Tribune.
The deliberations also proposed ease of conditions for renewal and transfer of driving license and vehicle registrations.
�Now, if anyone has to renew or transfer his license, he or she has to visit the state from where it was issued. The proposed system will enable the license holder to renew or transfer the license to another state online. Same will be case for transfer of registration for vehicle registration,� the source said.
Today�s meeting also mooted a revision of vehicle tax structure, proposing three slabs � 8 per cent (plus, minus 2 per cent) for vehicles costing below Rs 1 lakh, 10 per cent for vehicles above Rs 1 lakh and below Rs 10 lakh and 12 per cent for those costing above Rs 10 lakh.
Proposals were also made for rationalization of the permit fee for passenger vehicles to facilitate seamless inter-state movement to reduce dependency on private transport.
The meeting also focused on implementation of the high security number plates, use of reflectors, GPS, speed governors and road engineering designs and dwelt on measures to reduce fatalities caused by road accidents.
States shared the best practices implemented by them to reduce road mishaps. Gujarat presented a short film on how use of reflectors in vehicles helped reduce road accidents in the western state.
The proposals will be placed before the meeting of Transport ministers tomorrow. Transport ministers from eleven states, including the host state, will be present at tomorrow�s meet which will also take up the issue of framing of the national road safety code.
