In the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, Rajnandgaon is a district that locates itself at the centre and the National Highway 6 passes through it. Therefore, traffic congestion and road events are very common in this area.

Thus, the transport system of Rajnandgaon district and town is taken care of by the Regional Transport Office (CG-08), which are responsible for administering traffic rules to issuing learner's licence.

Let’s take a wider look at the functions of Rajnandgaon RTO’s functions:

• Issuance of hypothecation certificate
• Renewal of driving licence
• Issuing learner's licence and permanent licence
•  Issuance of registration certificate with an endorsement 
• Providing vehicle fitness certificate
• Providing duplicate licence, duplicate vehicle registration certificate
• Providing registration for non-transport vehicles
• Change of address in the RC
• Conducting driving tests
• Renewal of fitness certificate for non-transport vehicles
• Issuance of Pollution Under Control or PUC certificate
• Initiate transfer of vehicle ownership 
• Regulation of driving schools 
• Charging penalties against drivers breaking traffic rules 
• Promotion of road safety 
• Issuance of fancy registration numbers on request
• Inspection of vehicles

RTO Rajnandgaon provides many types of driving licence:  

• Gearless two-wheeler licence 
• Geared two-wheeler licence
• Light motor vehicle licence
• Medium motor vehicle licence 
• Heavy motor vehicle licence
• Commercial four-wheeler licence

Rajnandgaon RTO issues two types of vehicle registration: 

1. Temporary Registration 

2. Permanent registration

After the completion of the vehicle registration, one will get a number to display on the number plate. Furthermore, it is mandatory to carry a hard or soft copy of the RC while driving.

Along with registration charges, in Rajnandgaon, some additional charges also apply. This list covers a few:

• Road tax charges: 8% to 9% of a vehicle’s cost 
• Registration charges: ₹600 (for every vehicle)
• Smart card and number plate charges: ₹1000
• Temporary registration charges: ₹1200 to ₹1500
• FasTag charges: ₹500 
• Hypothecation charges: ₹1500

Road tax in Rajnandgaon is similar to Chhattisgarh road tax. The calculation depends on various factors. The following list can give one an idea:

• Two-wheelers below 70 kg: ₹8000 (age 5 to 15), ₹6000 (age 15+) 
• Two-wheelers more than 70 kg (up to 200cc): ₹15000 (age 5 to 15), ₹8000 (age 15+)
• Four-wheelers below and up to ₹5 lakh: 5% of the cost of the vehicle
• Four-wheelers costing more than ₹5 lakh: 6% of the cost of the vehicle
• Older Four-wheelers below 800 kg: ₹1 lakh (age 5 to 15) and ₹50000 (age 15+)
• Older Four-wheelers more than 800 kg and up to 2000 kg: ₹1.5 lakh (age 5 to 15) and ₹1 lakh (age 15+)

Fines and penalties will apply for breaking rules in Mahasamund. The following list contains a few of the more common rule violations:

• Rash Driving: ₹1000 to ₹5000 (first time), ₹10000 (subsequent times)
• Driving Without Authorisation: ₹5000 (may include 3 months imprisonment)
• Drunken Driving: ₹10000 (first time), ₹15000 (subsequent times)
• Over-speeding: ₹1000 to ₹2000 (LMV), ₹2000 to ₹4000 (MPV-HPV)
• Driving Without Licence: ₹5000 (may include 1-month imprisonment)
• Racing: ₹5000 (first time may include 3 months imprisonment), ₹10000 (second time may include jail time of 1 year)
• Disobeying the weighing of a vehicle: ₹40000
• Loading vehicles with extra weight: ₹20000 

According to the Motor Vehicle Act of 1988, it is mandatory to have motor insurance to have vehicle insurance before driving on public roads of Rajnandgaon. Vehicle registration plays important roles like:

• Paying for Hospitalisation: Vehicle insurance can cover hospitalisation bills that can result from accidents that may involve the owner and/or a third person.
• Reduction of Liability: Vehicle insurance also covers any liability arising from an accident like injury, death and damage to third-party properties.
• Reduction of Stress: It is crucial to stay stress-free while driving on public roads, and vehicle insurance can give a new driver enough stress relief so that he or she can drive properly.

Furthermore, it involves a fine of ₹2000 to ₹4000 for not having vehicle insurance respectively for the first time and subsequent times and may also include 3 months of jail time.

As per news, 3 different accidents took the life of 5 people in Rajnandgaon on 7^th February 2023.

In Dongargaon block, near village Munjal, an unknown vehicle ran over 3 people who were riding a bike and killed them on the spot.

At the same time, another accident took place in the Ambagarh police station area. In this case, an unknown vehicle hit a man riding a bike causing his fall and resulting in instant death.

The other accident took place near Shukri Nala where an unknown vehicle hit a man resulting in swift death.

From 11^th to 17^th January there was a state-wide road safety campaign supervised by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highway.

The awareness campaign included:

• Selfie with safety warrior programme
• Short video competition
• Checking the use of reflective tape
• Campaign against overloading