TIRUCHY: Tiruchy's fascination with fancy vehicle registration numbers shows no signs of slamming the brakes as the city's three regional transport offices (RTOs) have till October this year collected nearly Rs 3.65 crore in special number plate fee. The fee collection in the RTOs was Rs 3.71 crore for all of 2024. According to data from the transport department, 2,910 vehicles have received fancy numbers so far this year.
Of these, 550 registrations were at the Tiruchy East RTO, 1,365 at the West RTO, and 995 at the Srirangam RTO. The West RTO leads in revenue, collecting Rs 2.05 crore, followed by Rs 95 lakh from Srirangam and Rs 65.50 lakh from the East office. Last year, 2,940 vehicles were allotted fancy numbers across the three RTOs through auction, bringing in Rs 3.71 crore - including 481 from East and 1,444 from West.
Officials noted that the Tiruchy West RTO, which carries the registration code TN45, consistently records the highest number of fancy number bookings. Despite the existence of additional codes such as TN48 (Srirangam) and TN81 (Tiruchy East), most vehicle owners still prefer the TN45 tag, widely regarded as a symbol of local pride. Traditional favourites like 0001, 007 and 9999 remain. According to M Pradakshan, sales manager at a car showroom in Tiruchy, the demand for fancy numbers has expanded across all buyer categories.
"Earlier, only white-board (private) vehicle owners went for fancy numbers. Now, even some yellow-board (commercial) owners are opting for them. A few years ago, out of ten bookings, only two or three customers chose fancy numbers; now, more than half do - even within the running series," he said. Driving instructor K Tharun from a local driving school observed a similar trend. "People are now spending lakhs for fancy numbers on mid-range cars costing around Rs 20-30 lakh," he said.
An RTO official acknowledged the growing craze, confirming that at least three car owners recently paid Rs 2 lakh each for special numbers for vehicles priced below Rs 30 lakh in the Tiruchy West region alone. Currently, fancy numbers are allotted under a fixed-fee structure based on vehicle type and cost.
For two-wheelers, numbers within the next 1,000 in the running series cost Rs 2,000. For four-wheelers priced up to Rs 4 lakh, the fee is Rs 10,000, and for those above Rs 4 lakh, Rs 16,000. Premium series fetch higher rates - from Rs 40,000 (Series 1-4) to Rs 2 lakh (Series 11-12). Meanwhile, the system is set for a major overhaul with the introduction of an e-auction mechanism through the Parivahan portal.
Under the new process, applicants will pay an entry fee of Rs 2,000 before bidding online across three categories - super fancy (say 0001, 0111), semi-fancy (say 1000, 5000), and running fancy (numbers within the next 1,000 of the current series). Officials believe the change will further boost revenue and make the allotment process more transparent.