Decks cleared for certification of used car dealers by registering authorities

Coimbatore Consumer Cause has welcomed the latest instruction issued by the Commissionerate of Transport and Road Safety to all registering authorities to certify dealers of registered vehicles whenever any application is submitted, as per the rules.

Observing that the hassles being faced by buyers of second, third and multiple-hand vehicles (already registered vehicles) in registering the same in their names also affect law-enforcing officers, as tracking the vehicle owner and fixing responsibility becomes difficult, A. Shanmugasundaram, Commissioner, Transport and Road Safety, instructed all Joint Transport Commissioners, Deputy Transport Commissioners, Regional Transport Officers and Unit Office Motor Vehicle Inspectors, to go by the Central Motor Vehicles Rules on authorisation to dealers of registered vehicles within a time frame.

As per the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, if the vehicles are sold through dealers, entire responsibilities pertaining to the vehicle shall lie with them only.

When the dealers of registered vehicles are not given authorisation, it results in illegality in transactions, transaction documents going untraceable, absence in change of ownership of vehicles, and difficulty in making corresponding changes in VAHAN Portal. This turns advantageous for anti-social/ anti-national elements, and revenue collection through e-challan becomes a herculean task, the Commissioner said in his directive.

Appreciating the directive, K.Kathirmathiyon, Secretary, Coimbatore Consumer Cause, said prompt change in ownership of used cars and reflection of the same in registration was necessary to safeguard the sellers from unnecessary trouble that could arise in future.

The Central Motor Vehicle Rules necessitates the registered owner of a motor vehicle to intimate the registering authority, with whom the vehicle is currently registered, the fact of delivery of vehicle to authorised dealer of registered vehicles, through Form 29C, submitted electronically on portal. The form has to be dually signed by the owner and authorised dealer of registered vehicles and on successful submission of Form 29C on the portal, acknowledgement number shall be auto generated through the portal.

After submission of Form 29C, the authorised dealer of registered vehicles shall be deemed owner of the motor vehicle and shall be solely responsible for validity of all relevant documents of the vehicle and all incidents related to such vehicle.

The authorised dealer of registered vehicles shall be competent to apply for renewal of registration certificate or renewal of certificate of fitness, duplicate registration certificate, No Objection Certificate, insurance, transfer of ownership of motor vehicle, in relation to vehicles in his possession through Form 29C.