A revenue of Rs 10,30,000 has been generated at an impound vehicles auction at the Regional Transport Office in Coimbatore Central.

“All the 79 vehicles in the RTO compound have been sold and waiting to be towed away by scrap dealers,” said S Udaya Kumar, regional transport officer, Coimbatore Central.

Plastered with numbers and lined up to be taken away, the vehicles seized for non-payment of taxes and lack of proper papers four to five years ago, have been declared unfit for use and were now set for a final journey to the scrap yards.

The vehicles that went under the hammer included 50 big vehicles, jeeps, cars, two-wheelers besides auto rickshaws, according to Udaya Kumar.

Such vehicles in RTO compounds across Coimbatore normally leave the compounds after a period of five to six years, said the officer.

“But the auction this year was held after three years as vehicles in relatively good condition even for scrap, fetch a good price,” said Udaya Kumar, who took charge of the central jurisdiction a year and a half ago.

“Normally, a three-month period is provided to the owners to recover their vehicles after completing pending payments and formalities, but in many cases the wait becomes endless with owners losing the ownership of the vehicles automatically.”

But on the officer’s initiative, 40 owners were traced and their vehicles restored to them after they were persuaded into completing payments.

A scrap dealer from Pollachi, Ayyappan, said the auction was specifically for scrap buyers, and that they were ready to bear a price of Rs16.50 per kilogram of scrap that includes taxes and transport charges.

“There are dealers who are happy to make a profit of even 10paise per kilo, and bid accordingly. This is because scrap is sold in tonnes assuring a reasonable profit.”

Scrap dealers dismantle the vehicles and grade the scrap based on superior to normal qualities before selling it to mostly rolling mills and casting companies.

Ayyappan, who has been in this business for 30 years, said scrap they get mostly comprises iron and tin. Advocate Thangavel said owners hesitate to claim the vehicles as sometimes the price they have to pay in taxes will be more than the market rate of the vehicle.

“Even in the case of vehicles involved in serious crimes, there is a provision to apply for its recovery by depositing the RC papers with the police and guaranteeing that the vehicle will not be sold and will be produced before the authorities if needed.”

It’s a common sight to see confiscated vehicles deteriorating in RTO compounds with some hidden by overgrown weeds.
“We are not in a hurry to sell the vehicles though they occupy a lot of space and cause inconvenience, and do our best to restore them to the owners,” said Udaya Kumar.