Auction Number Plate Hits New High

This monsoon, its raining money at the Regional Transport Office (RTO) here. In just a day, the RTO has earned around Rs 50 lakh by auctioning registration numbers. The highest bid of all was Rs 2,42,999 for the registration number 9999 in the newly started CR series. This is one of the highest bids received in the recent past for any number.

The RTO received high offers for many other numbers too. It received offers of Rs 1,91,000 for 1111 and of Rs 1,42,000 for registration number 18.

“A Varachha resident Ramesh Lakhani made the offer for 9999, one of the most sought after numbers in Surat,” said Y A Bandi, incharge regional transport officer, Surat.

“I believe number 9 is lucky for me in business, property and vehicle. I was ready to spend even more for this registration number,” said Ramesh Lakhani, who is into sand mining business. His belief in number 9 runs very deep. The sand mining block which he bid in Tapi is L/9.

Lakhani took this number for his new Audi Q7, purchased for Rs 75 lakh. “I was confident to get this number and had even got the registration number plate prepared before the bidding,” he said.

Lakhani, who is from Bhavnagar district and settled in Surat, got no 9999 for his Mercedes-Benz too about two years ago for Rs 81,000. This time, he had to face a stiff competition and had to spend much more.