Challenges I Faced While Getting A BH (Bharat Series) Number Plate For My New Renault Kwid

Considering the extensive documentation requirements and slow approval process, was obtaining a BH series number plate worth it?

I recently bought a 2024 Renault Kwid and decided to get a BH series number plate for it as the company I work for has offices in more than 5 locations in India, making me eligible to get one. I read various articles about the benefits of getting a BH series number plate and was convinced that my decision was right. For me, the major advantage of getting a BH number plate was the reduced upfront cost (nearly Rs 60,000). That’s because, with a BH number plate, I had to pay just 2 years' worth of road tax, which in my case was around Rs. 8,000. The rest of the tax has to be paid every two years afterwards. But the hassle and the time it took to get the BH series number approved by the Maharashtra RTO got me thinking – was it really the right decision? Here are the challenges that I faced while getting the number.

1. Extensive Documentation RequiredApart from the basic documents required to get a registration certificate (RC) for a car (address proof, ID proof, and a few photos), I had to submit a Form 60 that my company’s HR department provided. However, the RTO required it in a specific format, so I had to get it redone 2-3 times by the HR. But, that’s not all. I also had to share my joining letter (as I had recently joined my current company), a salary slip, and an ID card. I don’t know if this was in my case specifically or if it is a requirement in general. To be honest, it took fewer documents to get the car loan approved than it did to get the registration approved.

2. The Slow Approval ProcessIt took a long, 16 days for the RTO to approve my vehicle’s registration. The dealerships have a dedicated person (mostly a freelancer) working on the RTO approval process, who acts as a middleman between the RTO and the dealership. There was a middleman involved and while the whole process might have seemed like the usual, painfully slow, registration timeline to him, for me, this was a long wait. To add to the misery, there were so many public holidays in Maharashtra in September, which might have affected the RTO’s turnaround time. 

3. No Clarity Via SMS/E-mailI got a single message from the (Ministry of Road Transport and Highways) MoRTH on September 30th, the day I finally got my registration number. There was no communication apart from the initial OTP messages required to begin the registration process. I think that the RTO should be more transparent about the process and make it easier for the user to stay updated about the status of their application. Again, there is a tracking mechanism in place but due to the middleman, I might not have been able to use it. 

It took just 5 days for my loan application to get approved. I got it from Renault Finance and at an attractive interest rate. But, the registration process of the car took more than thrice the number of days it took me to get the loan, and it had me waiting for my car while it sat in the dealer’s yard. That said, I feel if I had chosen an MH registration number, I might have gotten it way earlier. Whether the delay was from the RTO or the middleman, in the end, it’s the customer who has to face the issues. It would be great if the government could streamline this process. 

Overall, 1 week with the Renault Kwid and I’m really happy with the car. The hassle of getting the registration done for the BH series was not a good experience but the car has proven to be worth the wait.

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