Transport Dept honks at cars for taxes

BANGALORE: Luxury cars bearing neighbouring states’ registration number and ply in Karnataka, have now come under the radar of Transport Department. In the last two weeks, the department has collected Rs 40 lakh as life time tax from the owners of such luxury  vehicles.As per the orders of High Court of Karnataka, vehicles registered outside the state can commute with the same number in Karnataka for one year. To check on such luxury vehicles, the transport department has constituted a special squad comprising  of inspectors, home guards and traffic police.The drive was launched on January 16 and within a week, the officials have collected Rs 40 lakh. Luxury car owners, in a bid to evade high tax in Karnataka, register their vehicles in states where the tax is low. This had been causing loss to the state exchequer.Joint Commissioner for Transport, H G Kumar told Express, “More than 600 vehicles ply in the city without having paid tax in the past one year.” He said more than 200 vehicles have paid the tax only after inspection. “We suspect around 3,000 cars in the state ply without paying tax,” he said. Also, he claimed that hi-profile people ask to be spared from the clutches of the squad. Officials have turned eagle’s eyes especially at the city malls and theatres.