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Locals, businesses suffer as Ludhiana RTA office struggles with staff crunch
As many as 1,600 applications of RCs have been pending at Ludhiana RTA office for several months, as per official data
The vehicle owners and businesses of the city have been enduring significant hardships following prolonged delays in receiving their registration certificates (RCs) for new commercial vehicles due to staff shortage at the regional transport authority (RTA) office in Ludhiana.
As many as 1,600 applications of RCs have been pending for several months, as per official data.
The prolonged delay in RC approvals has not only affected vehicle owners’ plans to complete their tasks in a timely manner but has also caused financial difficulties for those repaying loans for their new vehicles as the vehicles cannot be put to use due to the pending applications.
According to the Punjab Transparency and Accountability In Delivery of Public Service Act July 2018, the department has to approve and print the RC of new commercial vehicles within a month. However, people have been waiting for the past three to four months to obtain the necessary documents.
As per the Motor Vehicle Act and services time limit framed by the transport department, officials have to give the RC for new commercial vehicles within 21 working days.
Additional state transport commissioner Satkartar Singh acknowledged the problem and said, “I am aware of the substantial number of pending applications for new commercial vehicles. I have already instructed the official concerned to expedite their processing. Additionally, we are actively seeking a solution, including assigning additional staff to the Ludhiana station to address the staff shortage.”
Gurvinder Singh, seeking approval for his new school bus, expressed frustration as he continued to wait for a response despite making multiple visits to the RTA office. “I purchased a school bus in May and till now I am waiting for the approva l of the application which is pending with the RTA office. I have made multiple requests to the officials but still in vain as I am paying instalments for my bus. Without RC, I cannot run my school bus” he added.
Gurpreet Singh of Dehlon shared similar concerns. He purchased two new school buses three months ago, for which the applications for their RCs are still pending, causing worry and uncertainty for his business. Paramjit Singh of PS Constructions, who invested in two large trucks for his business three months back, also faced setbacks. Despite numerous visits to the RTA office, his RC applications remained unresolved.
This situation caused financial distress for him and his colleagues as they continued to pay loans for unused trucks.
Advocate Amarpreet Singh said, “The accumulation of pending applications combined with limited staff availability has worsened the situation for many individuals who rely on these documents for their livelihoods. State government should take serious action against the officers who are delaying the work.”
