Check The Authencity of a Used Car by Just sending an SMS!

Here is good news for all those who are planning to buy a second-hand car. The biggest hurdle with a used car is to check its authenticity and now with transport ministry’s initiative, here is a simple solution. You can check the complete history of the car by sending an SMS to 7738299899, a helpline number issued by roads transport and highways ministry. The government recently organised a "FAME India Eco Drive” under the Ministry of Heavy Industries. It aimed to promote electric vehicles and also highlighted the need for energy conservation.

The helpline number can be used by government authorities as well, who at times struggle to find the details of a particular car. The number combined with a new web-enabled application will be able to trace the history of the car from the date of the registration. The enforcement authorities can also use the app to check whether the licence, which they consider is of dubious origin, is genuine or not. The best part about the initiative is that all this information is available free of cost.

Giving details of the scheme, joint secretary (transport) Abhay Damle said, "These interventions will facilitate people who take vehicles on hire to check the credentials of drivers and the vehicle as well. This service will also help the enforcement agencies to detect any fake documents."

"We've linked the data made available through RTOs. Details of whether the car has been involved in any accidents will be made through linking police records," said another government official.

The SMS-based service and app were specifically developed by National Informatics Centre after the transport ministry received several complaints regarding the genuineness of used vehicles.

Also Read: Union Budget 2016 - What to expect for the auto industry?