Number Love: Tales of vanity car numbers in Kashmir

In Kashmir the reasons for people securing vanity numbers for car registration plates range from religious faith and markers of the political climate to sports and film star favourites. 

Young people across the valley clamour for a whole range of vanity numbers by paying handsome amounts of money to secure and match their registration plates with their dream ideas and personalities.

   

Some are enticed by a car number used by a particular star in Bollywood or Hollywood, while others look for numbers that match fighter jet planes such as F-16. 

Bilal Ahmad Shah, an employee at RTO Kashmir office has been keenly watching Kashmir’s ‘number love’ since 1999 when vanity numbers became available at a premium here. The department has earned over 17 lakh rupees from the sale of such highly desired numbers in just two series sold from March to November last year.

Shah said though people can easily get their choice number after depositing basic fees of Rs 5000, but “real tussle” starts when there are other contenders for the same number. 

“This is where the department is earning as well. Starting from thousands, the bid goes in lakhs. And there are people who are willing to shed those big bucks for four digits of their choice,” said Shah.

A bid even crossed Rs 8 lakh mark. 

“There were two contenders for that number. One contender was having his earlier vehicle registered under the same number. He wanted the number at any cost and got it after spending a whopping eight lakh rupees,” said Shah. 

The combination of some digits such as 786 deemed “virtuous” is making people pay up to have it on a car registration plate.

The valley’s Sufi tradition is also finding an echo in the chase for vanity numbers.

Numbers such as 11 or sum total of two digits as 11 is also the choice of people in Kashmir for their car number.  

The department has also been receiving applications from people who want their date of birth (DOBs) as their car number, while some want last four digits of their mobile phone number as their car number.    

Of late, Shah said the department has been receiving applications wherein couples want same number for their separate vehicles. “There are also numbers such as 420 and 36 which people want to avoid at all costs. However, some people prefer them. I have seen it,” said Shah.

The game of cricket has also been influencing choice vanity car numbers in Kashmir. Jersey numbers of football players also inspires many people, especially youngsters to chase their dream car number.

Shah said people even have got historic dates such as 1947, 1931 for their car registration plates.

Numbers like AK-47, a rifle that has done a lot of talking in the last three decades, is also going to be available in the new K-series to be available sometime soon.

“We are hopeful that it would generate a huge interest and hopefully big money for our department,” said Shah.

Regional transport officer (RTO) Kashmir, IkramullahTak says the interest in all kinds of vanity numbers exists all over the valley.

“It is our Srinagar office that receives maximum number of applications for choice based numbers,” Tak said.

“You have to understand people from the nook and corner of other districts are coming to capital Srinagar to live. Therefore, a person who originally hails from Ganderbal, Budgam, Kupwara or Bandipora is getting his vehicle registered on his Srinagar address.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

16 + 13 =