Private vehicles are being run as taxis without registration………
Whether you are a tourist or a local one who needs the vehicle for a long tour or just inter-city and hire taxi, check its number plate once.
Hire the taxi once you confirm that it’s a yellow plate (Taxi registration) Such number plates are for vehicles registered as taxis with the transport department. Instead, if you use a taxi with a plain white number plate and unfortunately meet with an accident, you won’t get regular insurance or mediclaim, because such vehicles are registered as private vehicles.
From travel agencies to private car owners, many run their vehicles as taxis. A journey in a yellow number-plated taxi is fine, but if there’s an accident in a vehicle with a plain white number plate, the passenger in it does not get the benefit of insurance and health insurance. This is because the vehicle used as a taxi remains registered in the private vehicle category.
So whenever you hire a taxi make sure that it has a taxi number plate. Travel in it only if the number plate is yellow. Do not travel in it at all if the vehicle’s number plate is white.
As per the rules, private and commercial vehicles have separate registrations. The RTO gives a three-month permit for private vehicles to be run commercially. As per the department, only vehicles with yellow number plates are authorized for taxi operations in the city. Such vehicles are registered as taxis.
The government has to pay taxes along with fees for taxis. To avoid this tax, most people do not get their vehicles registered in this category. In such a case, a vehicle with a white number plate falls in the private vehicle category.
As Uttarakhand is one of the most visited states and during the Char Dham Yatra and Manaskhand Yatra demand for taxis increased a lot and some taxi rental agencies, local tour operators and sometimes also tourists choose the white plate taxis do many people do not focus on this.
As per the ARTO Dehradun and Haldwani, they cut Chalan every month who are running their private car as taxis but without public awareness, it is impossible to stop this.
Expert View: No insurance if vehicle category usage changes
If you meet with an accident while traveling as a passenger in a private vehicle, you cannot make claims in the insurance company, because the vehicle category usage has changed. The vehicle owner has paid a premium for a private vehicle and it is being used commercially, which is wrong.
