Thiruvananthapuram: The Motor Vehicle Department of Kerala has unexpectedly raised the service charge for services linked to Registration Certificate (RC) of vehicles, without any prior intimation or notification. The Motor Vehicle Department suddenly began collecting the newly revised charges from 1 pm on June 27th.
Applicants who attempted to avail the service by paying the pre-determined amounts encountered difficulties. The service charges for RC book hypothecation removal, previously set at Rs 1190, have now been increased to Rs 2135 without any prior notification. Similarly, the registration charges for new cars and two-wheelers, originally Rs 700 and Rs 350 respectively, have seen an additional service charge of Rs 60 for both, which has also doubled to Rs 120.
According to a notification issued by the central government, a fee of Rs 400 should be levied for license renewal and change of address. However, the Kerala Motor Vehicle Department is collecting a hefty sum of Rs 765 from individuals seeking these services.
While the Motor Vehicles Act grants the central government the authority to establish driving license fees, the state Motor Vehicle Department is imposing charges according to the state’s directions. There have been allegations that several categories of charges were not mentioned in the central notification and are now being applied. Some view this as an attempt to exploit the public in collaboration with the LDF government.
Notably, the public is currently facing significant hardships due to the introduction of new AI camera penalties, resulting in higher fines and increased frequency of road checks.
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