Vehicle Registrations in Malappuram and Palakkad Set for Review as Nagaland Sees Higher Numbers; Kerala Transport Minister CP John to Examine Sharp Decline

Kerala Transport Minister C.P. John has said the sharp fall in vehicle registrations in Malappuram and Palakkad districts will be examined, after reviewing the matter at a regional meeting of Regional Transport Officers in Edappal. According to the report, vehicle registrations in Malappuram have fallen by about 30% this year, while Palakkad has seen a decline of around 10%. The minister said registrations in Malappuram, which had previously reached nearly 10 lakh, have now dropped to about 7 lakh.

He said the department will look into why more people from these districts are registering vehicles in other states, including Nagaland. The issue was discussed during a review meeting held at the Institute of Driver Training and Research in Kandankkam, where officials from the Malappuram, Palakkad and Thrissur zones participated.

The minister said the government will work to strengthen the driving system in Kerala and consider widening zebra crossings so that more people can cross roads at the same time. He also noted that staff workload is high in several districts and that many motor vehicle offices are in poor condition, making it difficult for officials to carry out their duties effectively.

John said the Motor Vehicles department contributes about Rs 7,335 crore to the state government, making it one of the state’s major sources of revenue. He added that a small share of this income should be returned to the department to upgrade office buildings, buy new vehicles and improve yards used for keeping seized vehicles. He said improving these basic facilities would help the department function better and could also increase revenue.

The review meeting was attended by Central Zone Deputy Transport Commissioner Anoop Varkey, IDTR Joint Director K.M. Saifuddin, MVI P.M. Appu, Regional Transport Officers from Palakkad, Malappuram and Thrissur districts, and enforcement RTO officials. The department is expected to examine the registration decline, infrastructure gaps and operational challenges as part of its next steps.