In response to the discovery of numerous trucks and buses with fake chassis and engine numbers from various states being re-registered in Maharashtra, the state's transport department has implemented a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the transfer of vehicles from other states. An official revealed that the department issued a recent directive after uncovering the fraudulent re-registration of vehicles from Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and other regions in Maharashtra.

State Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar explained that there was previously no established procedure for the registration of vehicles from other states. Clerks at Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) would enter transferred vehicle details on the Vahan portal, with senior clerks providing approval. Identifying systemic flaws in this process, the department decided to rectify and strengthen it.

According to the directive, each RTO must maintain a separate register documenting vehicles transferred from other states. The staff, including motor vehicle inspectors and assistant/deputy regional transport officers, are required to sign in the register after entry, inspection, and final approval of the vehicle, respectively. Deputy RTO officers must grant prior approval before entering details or creating digital records for any vehicle transferred within their jurisdiction if information is unavailable on the Vahan portal.

The directive emphasizes the mandatory submission of inspection reports by motor vehicle inspectors. If the vehicle details are available on the Vahan portal, the final registration approval will be granted by the RTO officer or deputy RTO officers. In cases where vehicle details are not on the Vahan portal, confirmation will be sought from the concerned states. Coordination between RTO staff, motor vehicle inspectors, and officials above Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO) rank will be ensured to effectively curb fraudulent vehicle registrations from other states.