EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Feb 26: The long delayed issue on renewal of old vehicles beyond 15 years seems not be resolved soon, as the clarification issued by Transport Department on Road/ Token tax on old vehicles has created confusion among the district officers, who have been finding it difficult to calculate through this new method.
Sources told Early Times that the Transport Department had issued a clarification regarding levying of the Road/Token tax on old vehicles on February 12, 2020. According to the clarification, for vehicles involving life extension beyond 15 years, ‘Written Down Value Method’ shall be adopted to work out the residual value of the vehicles at the end of their registration period as prescribed in the relevant Act/ Regulation for ascertaining the token tax payable at the time of registration of such vehicle.
Shockingly, the most of the Assistant Regional Transport Officers (ARTOs) of various districts in Jammu region termed this method weird and cumbersome, and said that it is difficult for them to understand it.
“Even though Transport Department had issued clarification in this connection, it has created confusion. We don’t know about this method ‘Written Down Value Method’ which is beyond our understanding and seems to be very complex. More problems will be faced, if adopted, in its implementation,” said an ARTO, on the condition of anonymity.
Another officer told Early Times that he has not started implementing this method for calculating the residual value of the vehicles, whose life of 15 years has expired.
“We have written to the Transport Department about the problems being faced by them in its implementation and demanded to find out some simple method instead of it,” he said further adding that they had suggested the higher authority to consider the value of old vehicle as per value mentioned in its insurance.
Pertinently, as per clarification by Transport Department which says that with regard to average Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation as the discounting factor, subject to the condition that the registration of old vehicles shall take into account directions, if any, of NGT/CPCB/SPCB before authorizing registration of old vehicles in J&K in respect of non-attainment cities in respect of air pollution. |
