Since 2021, vehicle ownership transfers have been on the rise. In 2021, the Bhutan Construction and Transport Authority, BCTA, provided a grace period to transfer vehicle ownership without fines and penalties, and more than 28,000 people did so. Since then, over 16,000 people have transferred vehicle ownership in the past two years.
According to the construction and transport authority, it is the responsibility of the seller to transfer vehicle ownership.
The Road Safety and Transport Regulation 2021 states that “A person selling a vehicle shall, within 15 days of sale, apply for ownership transfer of the vehicle in the name of the person buying the vehicle.”
A penalty of Nu 100 per day is imposed after fifteen days from the sale if the ownership is not transferred. Additionally, the seller will be prohibited from obtaining any new vehicle registration.
According to BCTA, vehicle ownership transfer was a persistent issue in the past.
However, in 2021, besides implementing a grace period, an online system was also developed to enable ownership transfers.
More than 28,000 car owners transferred their ownership in that year alone, with the highest transfers made in Thimphu.
Prior to the grace period, between 2018 and 2020, the number of people transferring their vehicle ownership was a little over 6,000.
Officials from the BCTA reported significant improvements since then. 2022 saw more than 7,000, and last year saw nearly 9,000 people transfer vehicle ownership. So far this year, the number has crossed 3,500.
BCTA officials said that there are still people who have not transferred their vehicle ownership after selling it.
They added that it is difficult for them to track those who do not transfer ownership since registration documents are updated on time by those who are in possession of the vehicle.
Currently, there are more than 127,000 registered vehicles in the country.
Karma Samten Wangda
Edited by Tshering Zam
