2.5 lakh unregistered BS-IV vehicles will become 'trash' after 31 March

Hyderabad: A total of 2,59,678 BS-IV vehicles sold from 2014 have not been registered yet. If they are not registered after 31 March 2020, they will be considered trash. The 2.5 lakh vehicles are estimated to cost over Rs. 1,500 crores.

Out of the 2.5 lakh vehicles without registration, 2,22,229 are motorbikes, 24,709 are tractors, 7,467 are cars, 2,796 freight vehicles, and 1,729 are e-rickshaws and autos. Also, vehicles that haven't been registered will not be eligible for insurance. If these vehicles are involved in an accident they will not get any compensation. Though the government had announced that insurance is mandatory for all vehicles, some lakhs of vehicles have not been registered which comes as a big surprise.

As of now, dealers are taking lifetime taxes and completing the temporary registration process. They are then handing the vehicles over to the owners. Officials, on the other hand, haven't been showing any interest as the government is getting taxes and registration charges.

According to the rules, a person must get the vehicle registered within 30 days of the registration by the road and transport department. But there are no strict rules for people who don't register their vehicles. If the registration is not done within the given deadline, a fine of Rs. 25 is imposed every month. Temporary registration only lasts for 30 days. After that, driving a vehicle without registration is a crime. If a person is caught while driving an unregistered vehicle, a fine of Rs. 1,000 is imposed. No company gives insurance to unregistered vehicles. If a person is caught driving a vehicle without insurance documents, a fine of Rs. 1,000 is levied. If there is no third party insurance, a fine of Rs. 1000 to 10,000 is collected.

According to the new rules, a fine of Rs. 2,000 will be imposed and a jail term of three months given for driving vehicles without insurance. If the vehicle is caught a second time, a fine of Rs. 4,000 is levied and a jail term of three months given.

The Centre had, earlier, announced that the registration should be done with the dealers. This process is being followed in a few states. The transport department had earlier thought of this but it couldn't be applied.