The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued a directive to states and union territories, urging them to discontinue the practice of imposing supplementary charges, such as passenger tax, checkpost tax, and border tax, on tourist vehicles. In a communication addressed to principal secretaries, transport secretaries, and transport commissioners of states and UTs, the MoRTH underscored that vehicles holding All India tourist permits are already subject to a mechanism where permit fees are shared with the respective states. Thus, any imposition of additional charges is deemed unjustifiable and counterproductive as it hampers the seamless movement of tourist traffic.
While the oversight and regulation of transport services fall within the jurisdiction of state governments, who possess the authority to formulate rules and regulations pertaining to the sector, the central government holds power under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 to enact rules that promote tourism. This includes the issuance of permits to tourist vehicles that are valid throughout the entirety of India. The majority of tourist vehicles operating on inter-state routes operate under the framework of All India permits.
MoRTH articulated its position by stating, “The All-lndia Tourist Vehicles (Permit) Rules, 2023 were made with the objective of seamless and hassle-free movement of tourist vehicles across the country on the strength of permit issued after making the payment of fee prescribed… It is pertinent to mention here that the permit fee collected under Rule 3 is disbursed among the States and UTs in the following month,” in a letter directed to the concerned authorities.
The Ministry had formally introduced the All-India Tourist Vehicles (Permit) Rules, 2023 on April 18, with their provisions becoming effective from May. However, due to a lack of proper dissemination of information regarding the changes in rules, certain state governments continued to impose additional permit fees.
By sending out this directive, MoRTH aims to ensure uniform adherence to the new rules and prevent any ambiguity or misinterpretation regarding the imposition of charges on tourist vehicles. This initiative is aligned with the objective of streamlining and facilitating the movement of tourist vehicles across state boundaries, promoting ease of travel for tourists and maintaining consistency in regulatory practices.
