Buying vehicles? Now pay 2% accident cess

KOLHAPUR: The state transport department has decided to levy 2% accident cess on the purchase of all types of vehicles. The officials of the transport department said as much as Rs 100 crore is estimated to be generated through the cess, which will be utilised for making provisions for education, spreading awareness, setting up state-of-the-art testing facilities, deployment of CCTV cameras and putting up sign boards among other purposes.The move comes after a strict revision of taxes in the Union budget announced by finance minister Arun Jaitley earlier this year. All vehicles powered by petrol, CNG, and LPG faced an infra cess of additional 1%, while cars with big diesel engines were imposed an extra 4% infra cess. Luxury cars costing above Rs 10 lakh were levied with an extra 1% service tax.The officials said every regional transport office (RTO) is supposed to start a special centre for the renewal of old licences and permits, along with revision programmes with focus on traffic rules, understanding the sign boards and its timely revision. The funds are also meant for the purchase of breath analysers, speed guns and setting up of road safety teams that will keep a check on traffic violations.Maharashtra, which accounts for 9.4% of the country's population, has reported 11.5% accidental deaths, as per the accidental deaths and suicides in India 2014 report. The report for 2015 is still to be out.The report further stated that there have been 44,382 cases of road accidents in the state. Of the total 4,51,757 accidental deaths in the country in 2014, Maharashtra reported 67,028 deaths in the calendar year and remained at the top.