Coronavirus lockdown: Maharashtra transport authorities focus on BS-IV registration as thousands of vehicles pile up

In many places, regional transport offices (RTOs) are either shut or operating with skeletal staff, said dealers CNBC-TV18 spoke to.

However, transport commissioners in many cities have assured the dealer fraternity that arrangements are being made to expedite the registration process.

While most dealers express concern that the registration process is stalled, a section of dealerships which completed its paperwork before the lockdown intensified, has been reporting successful registrations on the same day or the next day as well. In many instances, dealers have also been selling vehicles door-to-door.

In some states such as Rajasthan, state commissioners have also written to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to extend the registration deadline for BS-IV vehicles.

The deadline set by the Supreme Court is March 31.

"Vehicles already sold and waiting to be registered and delivered are in the thousands as curfew and complete lockdown imposed in many states and customer or dealer staff movement has come to a halt," Kale told CNBC-TV18.

However, in Maharashtra, all RTOs are operational and all BS-IV vehicles will be registered in time, Sanjay Channe, Maharashtra transport commissioner, told CNBC-TV18.

He added that transport inspectors are essential services staff and even though fewer in number, they are able to complete registrations swiftly.

Channe has also instructed the RTOs to not undertake other activities such as driving tests and processing driver's license applications presently, and focus completely on BS-IV registrations.