RTO Srinagar

Lying on the banks of the Jhelum River, Srinagar is the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and ranks as the 31st most populous city in India. To control its traffic, this city is dependent on one Regional Transport Office (JK-01). 

As a government body, Srinagar RTO monitors and facilitates a comprehensive database for the registered vehicles of this region.

Srinagar RTO ensures all the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988 that are maintained in this region. A few of the functions include:

• Issue and renew driving licences

• Register PUC certificates

• Inspect motor vehicles

• Carry Ownership transfer of the vehicles

• Issue and renew the vehicle registration certificate

• Collect road taxes

• Issue motor vehicle permits

Srinagar RTO office issues driving licences to regulate road safety precautions. Following are the types of driving licence issued in Srinagar:

• Learner’s Licence
• Permanent Driving Licence
• Commercial Driving Licence
• International Driving License

There are 2 types of vehicle registration certificate available to the residents of Srinagar. They are:

• Permanent Registration

• Temporary Registration

One can acquire a distinct registration number after completing the registration process successfully and carrying out the document verification.

Vehicle registration requires several types of charges for the procedure. Some of these charges are as follows:

• Registration Charges (for all cars): ₹600

• Number Plate Charges (same for HSRP Number Plate): ₹230 to ₹400

• Hypothecation Charges (if a vehicle is purchased on a loan): ₹1500

• Temporary Registration Charges (for up to 1 month): ₹1500 to ₹2500

• FasTag Charges: ₹500 to ₹600

• State Development Charges or Parking Fee: ₹2000, MCD Parking Fees for cars under ₹4 Lakh is ₹4000 (only some states levy a charge for cars above ₹4 Lakh)

One has to pay 9% of the price of the vehicle under the Jammu and Kashmir Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 1957. Jammu RTO follows the standards of Jammu and Kashmir road taxes. The government has initiated road tax instalments with revised tax rates instead of a one-time payment. These taxes are as follows:

For Two-wheelers:

• Motorcycle: ₹100 (quarterly tax rate) & ₹4000 (One Time tax rate)

• Motorcycle with sidecar: ₹150 (quarterly tax rate) & ₹4000 (One Time tax rate)

• Scooters with attachments: ₹60 (quarterly tax rate) & ₹2400 (One Time tax rate)

For Four-wheelers:

• Cars more than 14 HP: ₹150 (quarterly tax rate) & ₹6000 (One Time tax rate)

• Cars up to 12 HP: ₹1000 (quarterly tax rate) & ₹20000 (One Time tax rate)

• Motor car with trailer: ₹150 (quarterly tax rate)

• Invalid carriage: ₹60 (quarterly tax rate) & ₹2400 (One Time tax rate)

For Commercial Vehicles:

• Seats for up to 5 persons (Quarterly Tax Rate): ₹250

• Seats for more than 5 persons (Quarterly Tax Rate): ₹375

• Trailers (Quarterly Tax Rate): ₹250

According to the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988, Srinagar RTO imposes new traffic fines if someone disregards the ‘Rules of the Road Regulation' that came into effect in July 1989. These traffic fines of Srinagar include:

• Driving without a Licence: ₹5000 and/or community service

• Driving with No Helmet on: ₹1000 and or licence disqualification and community service for 3 months

• Drunk Driving: ₹10000 and/or 6 months in prison and ₹15000 and/or 2 years in prison for a subsequent offence

• Driving without a Seat Belt: ₹1000 including/excluding community service

• Blocking Ways for Emergency Vehicles: ₹10000 and/or community service

• Over-Speeding: ₹1000 to ₹2000 (LMV) and ₹2000 to ₹4000 (MPV or HPV) along with licence seizure

• Using Mobile while Driving: ₹5000

Yes, it is mandatory to have motor insurance when you drive a vehicle in Srinagar. In case traffic police notice a person without valid insurance, it will cost a fine of ₹2000 with an imprisonment of 3 months for the first offence. In addition, if there is a repetition of the same violation observed, then it can attract a fine of ₹4000.

There is a significant increase in the number of accidents in Srinagar as the number of vehicles increases. A recent report shows a man lost his life in a road accident in the Nowgam area of Srinagar district. 

Another report informs about an accident where over 20 persons have lost their lives within just 10 days on and along Srinagar Jammu National Highway. It also suggests that this highway has taken away more than 1200 lives in 5 years.

Srinagar witnesses a road safety awareness drive near Iqbal Memorial Boys School in Bemina. The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) collaborated on this event with the Traffic Police to promote traffic awareness among children. 

Another Road Safety Week occurred from January 11 to January 17 under “Swachhata Pakhwada-2023”. Mohammad Aijaz Asad, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Srinagar, initiated a Cab rally on a Traffic Awareness Campaign from TRC Corridor to promote responsible driving.

In addition, City Traffic Police authorities devised a multi-tiered system in Srinagar to curb underage driving and adherence to the traffic rules. They are also aligned with various educational institutions to impart road safety awareness among the students.