STA has decided that cars with an engine of size less than 1000 cc capacity will not be issued all-India tourist vehicle permits.
The people’s car - as the Tata Motors’ Nano has been dubbed - will not be allowed to ply as a tourist vehicle.
The Maharashtra State Transport Authority (STA) has decided that cars with an engine of size less than 1000 cubic centimetres (cc) capacity will not be issued all-India tourist vehicle permits. Those cars below 1000cc already plying on the roads will not be affected. The Nano is due for launch on Monday.
An STA official said the company had not approached them seeking tourist permits for the car. This ruling does not apply to the black-and-yellow taxis that operate in cities.
Besides the Nano (625cc), other vehicles that will be affected by this new rule are Maruti 800, Omni vans, and the Alto, made by Maruti, and the Chevrolet Spark. The official said these like the vehicles can be operated “for personal use without any commercial interests”.
The STA decision is likely to upset all those who were planning to use the world’s cheapest car as a tourist vehicle. Head of corporate communication at Tata Motors, Debasis Ray, said, “The Nano has never been projected as a tourist vehicle. It is a family car.”
The transport authority on July 24, 1997, had encouraged private taxis to apply for all-India tourist permit in a bid to promote tourism. However, officials said that more often, such vehicles were seen in the cities.
“The decision to not issue all-India permit to cars below 1000 cc was taken at a meeting on February 7,” said Dipak Kapur, transport commissioner. “The decision will be implemented with prospective effect. The STA arrived at the decision after taking cognisance of several operators complaining about small players eating into their business.”
Vehicles registered for commercial purpose have to pay Rs400 per seat annually to the regional traffic office (RTO). But certain private players operate lower capacity vehicles as tourist cars, causing losses to the RTO.
Rakesh Arora of Patel Luxury Travels objected to the ruling, saying that if an individual is trying to make extra money by operating tourist cars, he must not be stopped.
With inputs from Shwetaa Karnik
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