Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka, is one of the fastest-growing metropolises in India. With industrial economic development, the city contributes to 38% of India's total IT exports. It is attracting the youth of India with its diverse employment opportunities. 

Currently, there are 15 RTOs in Bangalore, spread across the city, to help the residents with their vehicle-related requirements.

There is no official RTO website for Bangalore. Applicants can seek the relevant information by visiting the official website of Government of Karnataka, Transport Department: https://transport.karnataka.gov.in/english 

The basic functions of the RTO offices in Bangalore are to maintain smooth traffic, good road conditions and safe driving practices. They are responsible for ensuring the road safety of the residents. Here are some of the functions they perform in Bangalore. 

• Issuing temporary and permanent Registration Certificate (RC)

• Renewing Registration Certificate (RC)

• Transferring vehicle ownership from one area to another 

• Providing driving licences (DLs) after conducting driving tests

• Offering No Objection Certificate (NOC)  

• Granting various types of vehicle permits

• Providing Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificates

• Collecting road taxes 

• Monitoring traffic rules and collecting fines for violation 

It is mandatory to pass the driving test and obtain a driving licence if you wish to drive in any part of India. The RTO offices of Bangalore are responsible for conducting such tests. They then provide the following types of driving licence to the residents. 

• Learner’s Licence

• Temporary Licence 

• Permanent Licence 

• International Licence

The RTO offices of Bangalore have a major role in registering all kinds of vehicles and providing vehicle Registration Certificates (RCs). This process is important for getting a number plate. Here are the two types of registration done in Bangalore. 

• Temporary registration 

• Permanent registration

The RTO offices in Bangalore issue several types of number plates to identify the category of registration. Here is a list of the same:

• Blue number plate

• White number plate

• Red number plate

• Number plate with an upward arrow

• Yellow number plate

• Green number plate

• Red number plate with an emblem of India

While registering new vehicles, the RTO offices charge registration fees from the vehicle owners. In Bangalore, you have to pay the following registration charges. 

• Two-wheelers: ₹300

• Three-wheelers: ₹600 for non-transport and ₹1000 for transport 

• Four-wheelers and LMVs: ₹600 for non-transport and ₹1000 for transport

• Medium goods motor vehicle and medium passenger motor vehicle: ₹1000

• Heavy goods motor vehicle and heavy passenger motor vehicle: ₹1500

• Imported cars: ₹5000

• Imported bikes: ₹2500

• Other vehicles: ₹3000

If you own a vehicle, you must pay road taxes at the right intervals to the government. The RTO offices of Bangalore collect road taxes from the residents, following the structure of the Karnataka road tax. Here is a summary of the taxes you need to pay in this area.

For Two-wheelers

• 10% of the price for new vehicles that cost less than ₹50000

• 12% of the price for new vehicles that cost more than ₹50000

• 4% of the cost of electric vehicles

• 73%-93% for vehicles less than five years old 

• 49%-69% for vehicles about 5-10 years old 

• 45%-25% for vehicles about 10-15 years old

For Four-wheelers

• 13% of the price for new vehicles that cost less than ₹5 lakh

• 14% of the price for new vehicles that cost about ₹5-₹10 lakh

• 17% of the price for new vehicles that cost about ₹10-₹20 lakh

• 18% of the price for new vehicles that cost more than ₹20 lakh

• 4% of the price for electric vehicles

• 75%-93% for vehicles less than five years old 

• 49%-69% for vehicles 5-10 years old

• 45%-25% for vehicles 10-15 years old

The local governance of Bangalore is paying much attention to the traffic rules to avoid road accidents. If you fail to follow these rules while driving, the RTO offices of Bangalore will have the right to charge fines and impose other penalties. It follows the structure of traffic fines in Karnataka. Here is a highlight of some of the common fines and penalties that residents face here. 

• Driving without a valid licence: ₹1000 for two-wheelers and three-wheelers, ₹2000 for LMVs and ₹5000 for other vehicles 

• Not wearing a helmet or seatbelt: ₹500

• Using a mobile phone while driving: ₹1000

• Driving despite disqualification: ₹10000

• Allowing minors to drive: ₹5000

• Disobeying traffic police: ₹2000

• Honking in silence zones: ₹500 for two-wheelers and three-wheelers, ₹1000 for four-wheelers and other vehicles 

• Blocking emergency vehicles: ₹1000

Yes, it is mandatory to have motor insurance while driving in Bangalore. It is a new rule under Motor Vehicles Act, and your insurance policy must cover third-party damages during an accident. If you drive a vehicle without purchasing its insurance, the RTO offices of Bangalore can charge a fine of ₹1000 for two-wheelers and three-wheelers, which increases to ₹2000-₹4000 for four-wheelers. 

Bangalore faces major traffic congestion. According to TomTom’s latest traffic index, it is one of the most traffic-congested cities in the world. On average, commuters are stuck for about 234 hours during the peak time of traffic. A report suggests that the vast population and proximity of the city to commercial hubs can be the reason for this issue. 

The status of road safety is also dissatisfactory. According to recent traffic police data, there were about 3,827 road accidents reported in Bangalore as of 2022. It caused the death of 777 people. Another report suggests that Bangalore comes under one of the top three cities with the highest number of deaths due to road accidents. 

A report shows that Basavaraj Bommai, the former CM of Karnataka, tried to reduce traffic issues by synchronising the traffic signals and expediting civil work. Moreover, data also shows that the Karnataka government has entered into a partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) to reduce road accidents. These initiatives are expected to help improve the current status of Bangalore and its road conditions. 

The Karnataka state government is concerned about the issues of traffic jams and road accidents occurring in Bangalore. There has been a reliance on road safety campaigns to help generate awareness among the citizens regarding the right ways to drive safely and maintain smooth traffic. Here are some of the latest road safety campaigns in this area. 

• Road Safety Awareness Campaign by a bike-taxi aggregator

• Swarakshane campaign by a resident 

• Road Safety Week Campaign by Namma Bengaluru Foundation 

• Road Safety Awareness Program by Aahwahan Foundation

• Safety Sarathy by ISBR Business School and LetsTagOn Foundation