THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vehicle owners will now get access to the Parivahan website to remove the NTBT (Not to be Transacted) status of their vehicles. Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar said the service will be made available within a couple of weeks. “We have approached the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to allow access to the website for fee payment services.
Once we receive approval to update the software, vehicle owners can log in using their credentials, pay the NTBT charges, and continue availing services from the MVD (Motor Vehicle Department),” he said.
The MVD can designate vehicles as NTBT for reasons such as vehicle theft, police cases, loan defaults, overdue tax payments, and pending challans exceeding 90 days. This blacklisting restricts vehicle-related transactions on Parivahan, complicating matters for owners who must pay compounded fees, cess, service charges, road tax, and fines.
Currently, owners can only remove the NTBT status through the Regional Transport Office (RTO) that imposed the restriction. The RTO concerned sends online access details to the registered phone number of the vehicle owner. There is also a misconception among vehicle owners that they need to go to the RTO concerned to complete the process. MVD also operates a special cell to assist vehicles registered outside the state that have been flagged as NTBT within the state.
S Prasanthan, general secretary of the Contract Carriage Operators Association (CCOA), said that citizen-side access would significantly reduce unnecessary inconvenience for vehicle owners. The vehicle owners have also approached the court demanding easier ways to remove NTBT as it affects the services availed through the Vahan software.