Pune RTO officials opted for an alphanumeric structure considering a longer-term view of registration demand. (Representational image)Pune’s Regional Transport Office (RTO) is preparing to move away from its two-letter registration series, which is fast running out of combinations. Instead of switching to a straightforward three-letter alphabetical system, as first considered, the RTO has proposed adopting an alphanumeric format for future vehicle registrations.The RTO now issues registration numbers under the ZW alphabetical series for non-transport light motor vehicles and ZY for non-transport two-wheelers.The RTO had initially planned to extend the two-letter alphabetical series into a three-letter one, running from AAA to ZZZ, and had approached the National Informatics Centre (NIC) for technical inputs on rolling this out through the VAHAN system and on number plates.However, considering a longer-term view of registration demand, officials opted for an alphanumeric structure that would offer far greater flexibility and a larger pool of possible combinations.Central approval must for new seriesSpeaking to The Indian Express, Deputy Regional Transport Officer Swapnil Bhosale said, “We have sent a proposal to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for an alphanumeric format series to be implemented in Pune, as the two-letter series would exhaust soon. We are awaiting the ministry’s approval.”The two approaches differ mainly in how the registration code would be structured. Under the earlier three-letter proposal, only English letters would precede the four-digit number, as in MH-12-AAA-1234, for instance. The alphanumeric option will combine letters and digits, as in MH-12-A1-1234 or similar combinations, allowing for a much wider range of unique combinations.Also Read | HSRP enforcement from July 1: Nearly 15 lakh Pune vehicles still non-compliantData from the Vahan dashboard shows that Pune has over 44.71 lakh registered vehicles as of July 2026. This includes more than 30.74 lakh two-wheelers, around 9.76 lakh light motor vehicles, over 1.62 lakh auto-rickshaws, and more than 1.01 lakh light goods vehicles, besides heavy goods vehicles, passenger vehicles, and other categories.Story continues below this adMoreover, vehicle registration across India follows a uniform format set by the ministry and administered through the NIC, conventionally comprising the state code, RTO code, an alphabet series, and a four-digit number. This structure was originally designed to accommodate an expanding pool of registrations.Shubham Kurale is a journalist based in Pune and has studied journalism at the Ranade Institute. He primarily reports on transport and is interested in covering civic issues, sports, gig workers, environmental issues, and queer issues. X:@ShubhamKurale1 ... Read MoreClick here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our storiesTags:number platevehicle registration