BHUBANESWAR: The State Transport Authority (STA) on Thursday directed the automobile dealers to mention all the charges collected from a customer in the money receipts.
The STA has also made it mandatory for the vehicle dealers to display all the details of the payment to be made by a customer on a notice board in their showrooms.
The dealers have been asked to place the notice board in a conspicuous place stating that no extra payment should be made other than those publicly displayed.
As directed, all Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) will carry out inspections in automobile showrooms across the State to ensure that all the charges to be paid by a customer are mentioned on the notice/display board.
“Automobile dealers can not charge any amount from a customer without giving a proper receipt. An order in this regard has been issued to all RTOs and they have been instructed to take action against the defaulting dealers,” said an official.
The Commerce and Transport Department has started issuing driving license and registration certificate of vehicles on the digital mode from January 1 this year.
The process has reduced the vehicle registration fee from Rs 282 to Rs 140. However, STA officers observed that some automobile dealers are deliberately not passing on this benefit to the customers and are still charging the old vehicle registration fee from the customers.
“It has been alleged that some vehicle dealers are charging extra amount from customers who are buying two-wheelers or cars. The government charges only registration and tax fee for new vehicles. The distributors should collect only these fee and not take any extra amount in the name of handling charges,” the official said.
If the dealers need to charge any amount for a value added service, a proper receipt must be issued for the same, he added.