To ensure seamless transfer of personal vehicles across States, the Centre on Saturday notified a new registration mark for new vehicles — Bharat Series (BH-series). The Road Transport Ministry’s new rule aims to centralise the system of re-registration of vehicles when relocating between states an easier process. This scheme will facilitate free movement of personal vehicles across states/union territories of India upon relocation.
In this regard, the government has notified a new vehicle registration regime that will free vehicle owners from re-registration process when they shift from one state/union territory to another.
“This vehicle registration facility under ‘Bharat series (BH-series)’ will be available on voluntary basis to defense personnel, employees of central government/ state government/ central/ state public sector undertakings and private sector companies/organisations, which have their offices in four or more states/union territories,” the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) said in a statement.
A MoRTH official said that an IT-based solution for vehicle registration is one such effort as “one of the pain points in the vehicle registration process that needed attention was re-registration of a vehicle while moving to another state”.
The MoRTH through a “notification introduced the new registration mark for new vehicles i.e. ‘Bharat series (BH-series)’. A vehicle bearing this registration mark shall not require assignment of a new registration mark when the owner of the vehicle shifts from one state to another,” the official further explained.
Currently, a person is allowed to keep vehicle for a maximum of 12 months in any state other than the state where it is registered. The owner has to get such vehicles re-registered before the expiry of 12 months.
The format of BH-series registration mark will be YY BH #### XX. YY denotes the year of first registration, BH is code for Bharat Series, #### is the randomised four digit number and XX are two alphabets, according to road transport ministry.
A vehicle bearing this registration mark shall not require assignment of a new
registration mark when the owner of the vehicle shifts from one state to another, according to a statement from the ministry.
According to government notification, the motor vehicle tax levied by the state and union territories at the time of registration in respect to BH-series non-transport vehicle will be 8 per cent in case of vehicles costing up to ?10 lakh, 10 per cent in case of vehicles costing between ?10-20 lakh and 12 per cent in case of vehicles costing above 20 lakh.
It further said that 2 per cent extra charge will be levied for diesel vehicles, while electric vehicles will be charged 2 per cent less tax.
In case, where the vehicle bears BH-series registration mark, the motor vehicle tax shall be levied electronically. After the completion of 14th year, the motor vehicle tax shall be levied annually, which shall be half of the amount which was charged earlier for that vehicle, the notification said.