Patna leads in spending for ‘lucky' vehicle numbers

Time of India

09-05-2025

Patna: People in Bihar have developed a penchant for getting fancy registration numbers and they are ready to pay extra money for them.According to data received from the state transport department, a total of 14,721 vehicle owners paid Rs 23.91 crore in the last financial year (2024-25), to get the fancy number of their choice, with Patna remaining at the top of this exercise while Sheohar showing least interest.
As per the data, a total of 5,709 people from Patna district acquired the fancy numbers in the last financial year after paying over Rs 9.47 crore, while Sheohar spent only Rs 2.50 lakh, with just 10 people expressing interest in it.Transport minister Sheela Kumari said the department is attention to the people's choice for fancy registration numbers. "This facility was not available earlier, but now the people can get the desired numbers for their vehicles after paying the specified fees," she said on Friday. She said some people choose fancy numbers based on their lucky numbers. "The very inclination for such fancy numbers has not only brought joy to vehicle owners but also increased the govt revenue," she said.The report further said Muzaffarpur ranks second, while Gaya comes third in the matter of obtaining fancy number plates. In Muzaffarpur, 1,230 vehicle owners spent approximately Rs 1.88 crore, while in Gaya, 921 people spent Rs1.35 crore to have such numbers. Purnia, with 627 vehicle owners spending Rs 1.15 crore for such attractive number plates, falls in the fourth position, as per the state transport department.However, districts like Sheohar and Arwal have not shown much interest in these numbers, with only 10 and 12 people respectively opting for fancy numbers. What remained the most sought-after numbers among the vehicle owners were 0001, 0003, 0005, 0007, and 0009, reports said.A transport department official said the vehicle owners must pay a special fee for selected numbers, categorised into five groups (A, B, C, D, and E), each with a specific fee. Group A's reserved numbers like 0001, 0003, 0005, 0007, and 0009 cost Rs 1 lakh for "non-transport vehicles" and Rs 35,000 for "transport vehicles". An e-auction system is also available for this purpose, the official said.The official added that if more than one person desires a single-digit number plate, a bidding process is conducted, and the highest bidder receives the desired number. Alternatively, fancy numbers in the current series are allocated on a 'first-come, first-served' basis upon payment of the designated fee online, he said.