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Consumer forum tells RTA to pay ₹5k to city man over licence delay
The complainant argued that this delay is in clear violation of the Punjab Transparency and Accountability in Delivery of Public Services Act 2018
The district consumer court has directed the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) to pay ₹5,000 to a city resident for delay in issuing him a driving licence.
The consumer court has asked the RTA to disbursed the amount within 30 days from the date of the order.
The commission, headed by president Sanjeev Batra and member Monika Bhagat, announced the decision in favour of complainant, Jodha Singh, on Wednesday.
Singh had filed his case with the court, asserting that he applied for a driving licence on August 15, 2022. He claimed that the scrutiny of his documents was completed on August 18, 2022, but the licence was delivered to him on January 14, 2023, a delay of 145 days beyond the stipulated time frame of issuing a licence.
Singh argued that this delay is in clear violation of the Punjab Transparency and Accountability in Delivery of Public Services Act 2018. Singh initiated the legal proceedings on December 20, 2022, and just a year later, on December 20, 2023, he received the court’s verdict in his favor.
Ajay Sharma, a city resident, who represented Singh for the case, voiced concerns about the perpetual delays in services offered by the RTA. He claimed that the seven-month gap between application and receipt of the licence showcases a severe lapse in adhering to the mandated timeline.
During the proceedings, the transport department wrote to the consumer court that the test of the applicant was delayed as their motor vehicle inspector was arrested by the vigilance bureau in a case due to which the driving test of the applicant was delayed.
“The transport department is obligated to deliver driving licences within seven working days. Singh’s case, however, underscores a significant departure from this standard,” the court’s order state.
The court highlighted that section 2(42) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 defines the words ‘service’ which provides as under:- “service means service of any description which is made available to potential users and include, but not limited to, the provision of facilities in connection with banking, financing, insurance, transport, processing, supply of electrical or other energy, telecom, boarding or lodging or both, housing construction, entertainment, amusement or the purveying of news or other information, but does not include the rendering of any service free of charge or under a contract of personal service.”
