Mumbai’s transport authorities have intensified action against luxury cars registered outside Maharashtra but allegedly used permanently in the city to avoid paying the state’s motor vehicle tax, issuing challans to 35 of 65 vehicles checked during a drive in South Mumbai.
The special operation was conducted by the Tardeo Regional Transport Office at the Coastal Road and Bandra-Worli Sea Link, including a toll plaza inspection that continued until late Saturday night. The vehicles were checked for compliance with Maharashtra’s tax requirements, with challans issued to those found to have failed to pay the mandatory levy.
Transport commissioner Rajesh Narvekar said notices would also be issued to seek cancellation of the licences of some vehicle dealers allegedly involved in facilitating the violations. The transport department has identified at least five such dealers in Mumbai, according to an official cited in the report.
The action follows an earlier crackdown by the Andheri RTO on high-end and imported vehicles registered in Union Territories such as Diu and Daman. Deputy RTO Nikhil Salunkhe said several luxury cars had recently been registered in other states using outside address proofs, even though they were being used permanently in Mumbai. The arrangement allowed owners to bypass taxes payable in Maharashtra, officials said.
The tax liability for some vehicles can reach up to Rs 30 lakh. Owners caught during the enforcement drives are required to pay the pending tax along with penalties. In South Mumbai alone, 132 high-end vehicles have been checked and penalised for non-payment of taxes this year, according to the report.
The Andheri RTO also continued its operation on Saturday, inspecting 55 luxury cars and issuing formal tax assessment notices to 32 owners. These notices demand lump-sum tax payments from vehicle owners identified as defaulters. Officials confiscated associated vehicle documents, which will undergo mandatory re-verification at the RTO.
The enforcement effort is being led by deputy RTO officers and teams of assistant regional transport officers and Motor Vehicle Inspectors. The action places dealers and vehicle owners under scrutiny not only for unpaid tax but also for the accuracy of registration and address documentation used when the cars were registered outside Maharashtra.
Narvekar said the department’s primary objectives were to enforce the law, curb tax evasion and recover revenue due to the state. He also urged motorists operating out-of-state luxury vehicles in Maharashtra to regularise their documents and pay the applicable taxes. Further dealer action, document verification and tax recovery proceedings are expected to continue as the regional transport offices examine more vehicles.
