The Tamil Nadu Transport Department has introduced an online system for vehicles coming in from other states to pay road taxes and temporary permit fees. The move is aimed at preventing corruption at the inter-state border check posts. According to The New Indian Express, the online system to pay road taxes and permit fees (vahan portal) was introduced in two check posts at KG Chavadi and Pethikuppam more than a month ago. It has now been extended to all the 21 check posts across the state. Vehicles can show the payment receipt at the check post counters, where it will then be verified. The online payment has been extended to all types of vehicles including cabs, omnibuses, tourist taxis and commercial vehicles from other states.
A transport department official quoted by The New India Express added that vehicle fitness certificate, pollution control certificate, and green tax payment have been integrated into the vahan portal. So the vehicles that fulfil all the requirements do not have to stop at the Regional Transport Office (RTO) for verification, the official said.
Till now, vehicles coming from Kerala, Karnataka, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh were paying taxes and permit fees manually at check post counters manned by the Transport Department staff.
The New Indian Express said that several lakh rupees were seized from RTO check posts in Pethikuppam, Hosur, Serkadu and KG Chavadi by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), because most of the commercial vehicles coming in from other states are overloaded and do not have the required transport documents for inter-state movement.
Tamil Nadu has 21 check posts bordering neighbouring states and one in Poonamallee to monitor vehicles coming in from Bengaluru and Chittoor that have taken diversions. The state gets the highest road tax revenue from Hosur (Krishnagiri), KG Chavadi (Coimbatore) and Pethikuppam (Tiruvallur) check posts.