Pondicherry Road Tax

Pondicherry is a very picturesque city with sprawling roads and coastal views. To maintain the beauty and infrastructure of the roads, one needs to consider that while purchasing their vehicles, they need to pay their road tax.

 

Pondicherry is renowned for its sprawling roads and picturesque drives. The beautiful coastal city, also known as the Union Territory of Puducherry, is famous within India and also with international tourists for its cleanliness and well-organised road safety measures. The upkeep and management of this infrastructure requires funds in the government’s coffers. One of the important sources of collecting revenues is via road tax. The Motor Vehicles Taxation Act & Rules of 1967 governs the road tax in Puducherry and also provides the basis of its calculation.

The government levies road tax on two-wheelers, four-wheelers, and other vehicles that are used for personal and commercial purposes. This is levied by both Central and State Governments. While the Central Government levies central sales tax, central excise, GST, customs duty, and other additional cesses, the State Governments levy passenger and goods tax, yearly or lifetime motor vehicles tax, toll tax, and state VAT.

 

Now you are probably wondering why do states levy road tax when the Central Government builds the national highways. Well, the answer is simple! Other than the national highways, almost 80% of the roads across Indian states are constructed and maintained by the respective State Governments. So, as they bear the cost of the construction and maintenance of these roads, the State Governments impose road tax on vehicles.

Road tax in Pondicherry for cars and other vehicles can either be paid by visiting the nearest RTO or by visiting the Transport Department website. Choose the option which is most convenient for you, submit the relevant documents along with the tax amount and preserve the acknowledgement receipt provided.

 

If you choose to pay the Pondicherry RTO tax online, here are the steps you can follow:

 

1. Visit https://vahan.parivahan.gov.in/vahanservice/.

2. Enter your vehicle’s registration number, your state and RTO.

3. Click on ‘Proceed’.

4. Select the ‘RC Related Services’ dropdown and choose ‘Pay Your Tax’.

5. Pay your Pondicherry road tax using any of the available online payment methods.

As mentioned earlier, the Pondicherry road tax is governed by the Motor Vehicles Taxation Act & Rules of 1967. The calculation is done on the basis of the price of the vehicle, engine capacity, seating capacity, manufacturer, and model. This is why there are different figures of road tax applicable for different kinds of vehicles. Since each state and UT has their own set of road tax directives, the road tax in Puducherry is different from the road tax in other states and being a UT is lower than most states.

 

Puducherry road tax (RTO tax) for two-wheelers is mainly based on the engine capacity of the vehicle. The following are the rates for annual and lifetime tax on two-wheelers:

As is the case with other states and UTs in India, Pondicherry road tax is different for different types of vehicles and the basis for calculation is also separate. In fact, in the case of private four-wheelers, the tax is calculated on the basis of weight in some cases and in others, on the basis of the cost of the vehicle. The tables provided below clarifies the applicable tax based on different categories:

Pondicherry road tax for cars is applicable while registering a new private car. The following rates are applicable based on the cost of the vehicle:

The Pondicherry RTO tax for commercial vehicles is calculated differently, based on their use and classification. It can be based on weight for goods carriers and based on per seat for passenger carriers. Here is some helpful information regarding the various kinds of commercial vehicles as per the different categories.

 

• Pondicherry road tax for Goods Carriage Vehicles.

• Pondicherry road tax for Stage Carriage Vehicles (vehicles which carry more than six passengers with separate fares and destinations of passengers, like Omnibus).

• Pondicherry road tax for Stage Carriage Vehicles (vehicles which carry passengers on a fixed contract basis, unlike Stage Carriage).

Non-payment of timely road taxes incurs penalties. The penalties are calculated as per the delay period and the original frequency of tax payment. In Pondicherry, the penalty cannot exceed the annual tax.

The Pondicherry (or Puducherry) road tax is based on the Motor Vehicles Taxation Act & Rules of 1967. Not paying the road tax on time can lead to serious penalties. Along with the payment of road tax, another important traffic rule you must remember is having valid motor insurance for your car/bike. As per the Motor Vehicles Act, it is mandatory to have at least a third-party insurance for your vehicle to drive on Indian roads. Hence, if you still have not insured your vehicle, do it now! Bajaj Markets is here to help you with some of the best motor insurance policies for your precious vehicle.