The Maharashtra government has raised fees for VIP vehicle numbers, with the cost for the highly sought-after ‘0001’ number now reaching Rs 6 lakh in major cities like Mumbai and Pune.
Under the new fee structure, effective August 30, the charge for the coveted ‘0001’ number will increase to Rs 5 lakh for four-wheelers, up from Rs 3 lakh. For two- and three-wheelers, the fee will rise to Rs 1 lakh, doubling from Rs 50,000. In high-demand areas such as Mumbai, Pune, Thane, and others, the fee for this number will be Rs 6 lakh, up from Rs 4 lakh.
The hike also applies to out-of-series VIP numbers, which can now cost up to Rs 18 lakh in major cities. This is a significant jump from the previous fee of Rs 12 lakh. The new fee structure includes a three-time basic fee of Rs 15 lakh for four-wheelers and Rs 3 lakh for two- and three-wheelers if the ‘0001’ number is unavailable in the current series and needs to be allocated from another series.
The state has also increased fees for other notable VIP numbers, such as ‘0009,’ ‘0999,’ and ‘9999,’ to Rs 2.5 lakh for four-wheelers and Rs 50,000 for two-wheelers, up from Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 20,000, respectively. Fees for 16 popular numbers will now be Rs 1 lakh for four-wheelers and Rs 25,000 for two-wheelers, while 49 additional numbers will cost Rs 70,000 and Rs 15,000, respectively.
In addition, the government has allowed the transfer of VIP numbers to immediate family members, reversing the previous restriction. The period for producing a vehicle with a reserved number has been extended from 30 days to six months.
The fee increase is expected to boost revenue for the state transport department, which earned Rs 139.20 crore from registration number fees in the 2017-18 fiscal year.
