RTO Kolkata

RTO Kolkata was formed under the Transport Department of the Government of West Bengal. It was formed to ensure the enforcement of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, in Kolkata. Apart from this, the department also ensures that the transportation facilities are universally available to the common people of the city.

Official Website of RTO Kolkata: http://transport.wb.gov.in/

RTO Kolkata’s functionalities include registration of vehicles, issuance of driver's licence, collection of taxes, etc. Following are some of the primary functions of the RTO office in Kolkata:

• Temporary and Permanent registration of vehicles.
  
• Issuing learner’s and driver’s licence.
  
• Transferring ownership of vehicles.
  
• Issuing NOC to vehicles for inter-state transfer.
  
• Issuing permits for state vehicles, goods carriage, national permits and tourist permits.
  
• Issuing fitness certificate to commercial vehicles.
  
• Collecting road taxes and other vehicle-related taxes.
  
• Issuing duplicate Registration Certificate and change of address on the issued ones.
  
• Issuing duplicate Registration Certificate and driver’s licence.
  

• Licence for driving two-wheeler vehicles without gear: MCWOG/FVG licence is issued to applicants above 18 years of age for driving two-wheelers without gear.
  
• Licence for driving two-wheeler vehicles with gear: MC With Gear or M/CYCL.WG  is issued to applicants above 18 years of age for driving two-wheelers with gear
  
• Licence for driving light motor vehicles: LMV licence is issued to applicants above 18 years of age for driving vehicles of any engine type such as cars, jeeps, vans, autorickshaws. No separate licence needs to be taken for driving light motor vehicles for commercial purposes.
  
• Licence for commercial vehicles: MGV, HMV, HGMV, HPMV/HTV are the licence types for commercial vehicles used for transportation. It is mainly for medium and heavy goods vehicles.

You can get your vehicle registered with the RTO Kolkata, which is a mandatory process for every new vehicle bought in India. There are two types of registration for vehicles:

• Temporary Vehicle Registration: A temporary vehicle registration number can be used for the initial 7 days after the purchase of a new vehicle. This can be further extended to 1 month. After this stipulated time it is mandated to have a permanent registration number.
• Permanent Vehicle Registration: The Permanent Vehicle Registration number is issued to the owner of the new vehicle. Permanent Registration Number is mandatory for all vehicles in India, without which you will be subjected to a fine or imprisonment.

Once your vehicle registration is completed, the RTO offers a number plate which contains a unique number (WB01XXXX). The number helps authorities identify the vehicle and maintain a database. Here is a list of the different types of number plates issued by the RTOs in Kolkata: 

• Yellow number plate

• White Number Plate

• Blue number plate

• Red number plate with the emblem of India

• Green number plate

• Number plate with an upward-pointing arrow

• Black number plate

• Red number plate

Following are the vehicle registration charges at the RTO offices in Kolkata:

• Number Plate Charges Which Apply for HSRP Number Plates as Well: ₹230 to ₹400

• Parking Fee or State Development Charges: ₹2000 for cars under ₹4 Lakh and ₹4000 for cars above ₹4 Lakh

• Registration Charges for All Classification of Vehicles: ₹600 

• Hypothecation Charges for All Classification of Vehicles if it is Purchased on a Loan: ₹1500 

• Temporary Vehicle Registration Charges: ₹1500 – ₹2500 (It is valid for one month)

• FasTag Charges: ₹500 – ₹600 to be paid during the purchase of the vehicle

Here is a detailed list of West Bengal road tax charged at the RTO offices in Kolkata:

• 80cc Engine Capacity Two-wheeler Motorcycles: ₹1560

• 170cc Engine Capacity Two-wheeler Motorcycles: ₹3125

• 250cc Engine Capacity Two-wheeler Motorcycles: ₹4685

• Two-wheeler Motorcycles with engine capacity of more than 250cc: ₹6250

• 900cc Engine Capacity Four-wheeler Motor Vehicles: ₹10550+ ₹4000 for AC Cars

• 1490cc Engine Capacity Four-wheeler Motor Vehicles: ₹13900+ ₹7500 for AC Cars

• 2000cc Engine Capacity Four-wheeler Motor Vehicles: ₹21800+ ₹10000 for AC Cars

• 2500 cc Engine Capacity Four-wheeler Motor Vehicles: ₹28000+ ₹12500 for AC Cars

• Four-wheeler Motor Vehicles with Engine Capacity of More Than 2500cc: ₹30000+ ₹15000 for AC Cars

• 900cc Engine Capacity Commercial Motor Vehicles: ₹11900

• 1490 cc Engine Capacity Commercial Motor Vehicles: ₹15250

• 2000 cc Engine Capacity Commercial Motor Vehicles: ₹24500

• 2500 cc Engine Capacity Commercial Motor Vehicles: ₹30000

• Commercial Motor Vehicles with Engine Capacity of More Than 2500cc: ₹32000

Following traffic rules and regulations in Kolkata is not an option. Every driver and rider must follow the traffic rules. Here is a list of the must-follow rules and traffic fines in Kolkata:

• Juvenile violation: ₹5000

• Dangerous Driving: ₹5000

• Honking in a silent zone: ₹1000 and ₹2000 for repeat offenders

• Driving without a valid road permit: ₹10000

• Driving without a valid PUC certificate: ₹2000

• U-turn violations: ₹500

• Riding with a Two-wheeler on Footpaths: ₹500 and ₹1500 for repeat offenders

• Driving a Vehicle Without DL: ₹5000

• Over-Speeding of a Vehicle (Two-wheeler and Four-wheeler): ₹1000 and ₹2000 for repeat offenders

• Driving or Riding a Vehicle Without Proper Registration: ₹5000 and ₹10000 for repeat offenders

Yes, it is mandatory to have motor insurance while driving a vehicle in Kolkata. If you do not possess valid comprehensive or third-party insurance, you must pay ₹2000 for the first offence and ₹4000 for repeat offences. Always make sure that you purchase insurance from a reputed provider, as you may or may not get full coverage from non-reputed ones.

As per a piece of recent news, the collection of traffic fines by the Kolkata Police has dropped significantly in the past year. The police collected around ₹27.55 crores as traffic fines in FY 22-23, which is almost half of the penalties collected in the previous year. 

According to some police officers, the drop in cases signifies that citizens comply with traffic rules and regulations.

During Road Safety Week in 2023, a campaign was organised to spread awareness about issues such as honking, pollution, school traffic management, the safety of pedestrians and speeding, etc. The cops included school and college students in the campaign to create public awareness. 

In another event, The Indian Chamber of Commerce celebrated Road Safety Week by raising awareness about road safety and promoting sustainable transportation alternatives. It was organised at Rabindra Tirtha, New Town, on 16 May 2023.