Yards to be set up for seized vehicles in every taluk: Minister
The Kerala government has introduced a bill to establish authorized vehicle yards in every taluk to store vehicles seized for tax non-payment. The legislation aims to solve storage shortages and mandates that owners pay parking and transport fees before their vehicles are released.
Why it matters
This bill represents a significant administrative change in how the state enforces motor vehicle tax compliance and manages seized assets.
Transport Minister C.P. John presented the Kerala Motor Vehicles Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Legislative Assembly.
The bill includes provisions to establish special approved vehicle yards in every taluk to store vehicles seized for non-payment of tax within the State. The Minister stated that the new amendment bill aims to address the issue of insufficient space for storing seized vehicles.
Under Section 11 of the 1976 Act, Motor Vehicle Department officials (holding the rank of Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspector or higher) and police officers (holding the rank of Sub-Inspector or higher) currently have the authority to seize vehicles used or kept for use in the State without tax payment.
However, government land with adequate facilities to store such seized vehicles was unavailable, hindering the effective implementation of existing legal provisions. The Minister explained that the government decided to set up authorised yards in every taluk to resolve this crisis.
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