Noida cab operators seek relief from one-time payment of road tax

Noida: A group of cab operators have asked for the relaxation of the newly introduced lump sum payment of one-time road tax, saying that it is putting them under financial strain. Under the revised norms implemented by the state govt in Feb, owners of commercial vehicles — including cabs, taxis, trucks and buses — must pay approximately 10% of their vehicle's value at one go instead of making quarterly, biannual and annual payments.However, several vehicle owners said it is difficult to pay such a large amount of money at once. A delegation of cab operators met officials on Sunday to express their concern. Pradeep Kumar, owner of Pradeep Tour & Travels, said he operates a fleet of nearly 40 cabs. "Earlier, we paid road tax of Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000 per car on a quarterly basis. Now the govt is asking for Rs 1 lakh or more per vehicle as a one-time payment, depending on the vehicle and its age," he said. He added that arranging such a large sum is difficult for operators with multiple vehicles. "It is a highly competitive market with several cab aggregators offering low fares, which reduces our revenue," he said.
Another cab owner, who requested anonymity, said he owns five cabs. "Last year, I purchased a Toyota Innova for Rs 24 lakh. The quarterly tax was around Rs 12,000. Now, the one-time tax demand is nearly Rs 3 lakh," he said, adding that many operators lack the funds to make lump-sum payments.According to official data, Noida has around 12 lakh registered vehicles, including 19,800 taxis, 3,156 bike taxis, 29,852 goods carriers, 17,892 autos, 4,548 buses, 7,10,234 motorcycles and 3,73,695 private cars, among others.As per the new structure, commercial vehicles with an unladen weight of up to 7,500 kg must pay tax only once. Two-wheelers used as bike taxis are taxed at 12.5% of the vehicle's cost, while three-wheelers attract 7%. Four-wheeler commercial vehicles costing up to Rs 10 lakh are taxed at 10.5%, and those priced above Rs 10 lakh are subject to a 12.5% one-time tax.Goods vehicles with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of up to 3,000 kg will pay 3% of the vehicle cost, while those with a GVW between 3,000 kg and 7,500 kg will be taxed at 6%. ARTO (administration) Nand Kumar, said, "There is no provision to collect tax quarterly or annually now. Commercial vehicle operators must pay accordingly. We received a representation from the cab operators and forwarded it to the headquarters," he said. tnn