Sangli is a city in the Sangli district of Maharashtra. It is situated in the western part of the state and is also known as the Turmeric city of Maharashtra. It is also an emergency-medical hub, and people around the nation come here for medical assistance. As a result, there are always traffic-related issues in Sangli. The Regional Transport Office (RTO) of Sangli, which has the code MH-10 monitors the traffic issues along with providing several vehicular services.

The RTO in Sangli was created to perform the following functions:

• To ensure the growth and development of road transportation.

• To spread awareness about road safety.

• To ensure proper enforcement and implementation of provisions of the Motor Vehicles ACT of 1988.

• To issue driver and learner’s licence.

• Register new vehicles and also renew the registrations.

• To issue various types of vehicle permits.

• To conduct fitness tests and driving tests for issuing driving licences and fitness certificates.

Various types of Driving Licences issued by Sangli RTO are as follows:

• Learner’s licence

• Duplicate licence

• Permanent licence 

• Addition of a different class of vehicles to the licence

• International Driving Permit (IDP)

RTO Sangli provides two types of vehicle registration:

• Temporary Registration

• Permanent Registration

The registration fees depend upon the type of vehicle and the vehicle cost. However, the following are the registration fees for specific vehicles:

• Two-wheelers Including Scooters - ₹50

• Three-wheelers and Four-wheelers for Private use - ₹600

• Three-wheelers and four-wheelers for Commercial use - ₹1000

• Heavy Passenger Vehicle - ₹1000

• Heavy Goods Vehicle - ₹1500

• Medium Passenger Vehicle - ₹1000

• Medium Goods Vehicle - ₹1000

• Other Vehicles – ₹3000

The fee of a duplication registration certificate is half the amount of the registration of the vehicle.

The RTO Sangli follows the Maharashtra Road Tax structure. The road taxes levied by RTO Sangli are as follows:

• Road tax on Two-wheelers: 10%-13% of vehicle cost subject to a minimum cost of ₹1500.

• Road tax on Four-wheelers: 7%-15% of vehicle cost ranging from 10 lakhs to 20 lakhs.

Traffic rules are mandatory to follow for all citizens. Following is the list of fines for the most common traffic rules violations in Sangli:

• Over Speeding: ₹1000 - ₹4000

• Driving While Using Mobile: ₹5000

• Improper Use of Horns in Silent Zones: ₹5000 for first-time offenders and ₹4000 for repeating the same offence

• Driving Under Influence: ₹1000 or 6 years imprisonment

• Driving Without Seatbelt: ₹1000 or community service

• Driving Without Licence: ₹5000 or community service

If the car is not insured, to drive in public and you can be fined ₹ 2,000 or face imprisonment for up to three months. If caught for a second time, you might be fined ₹ 4,000. Hence, it is mandatory to have motor insurance, especially third-party insurance.

Following are a few updates on the traffic events in Sangli:

• The construction of state highways did not decrease the incidence of accidents in Sangli but rather increased it. Despite busy transport on highways, there are accidents still happening on other roads.

• The condition of the state highways has resulted in traffic congestion. While accidents have decreased on national highways, other roads have become accident-prone due to their bad condition.

• Tasgaon-Sangli road is very prone to accidents because of increased traffic and less road available.

• The villagers living along the Kolhapur-Sangli highway are witnessing regular accidents due to the uneven condition of the road and the increased number of vehicles on the highway.

• Highway Projects

Intending to increase road safety, honourable union minister Shri Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation of two national highways worth 2334 Crores covering 96.78 kilometres in Sangli in 2022.

• Spreading Awareness Amongst the Youth 

Road safety campaigns in Sangli comprise engaging college students, National Cadet Corps and various organisations to spread awareness about road safety among the younger generations.