FONRWA urges UP transport minister to continue licence service in Noida

Residents pointed out that travelling from Noida to Dadri, around 40 km, is time consuming plus it will cost at least ₹500 to travel by one’s car for the DL process even for one visit

Noida:

The step from FONRWA came a day after the Noida transport department issued notification that the driving license (DL) process will no longer take place in Sector 33 office, and residents have to visit a new private driving and training centre (DTC) in Dadri. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The Federation of Noida Residents Welfare Association (FONRWA) on Friday urged Uttar Pradesh Transport Minister Daya Shankar Singh in a letter to continue the driving licence (DL) services in the Noida Regional Transport Office (RTO) office till a new centre is built in Sector 33.

The step came a day after the Noida transport department issued notification that the driving license (DL) process will no longer take place in Sector 33 office, and residents have to visit a new private driving and training centre (DTC) in Dadri.

RTO Gautam Budh Nagar officials, however, said that they will comply the orders issued from Lucknow.

According to KK Jain, secretary general, FONRWA, shifting the DL process in Dadri from Noida is completely inconvenient for residents of Noida.

“The department should work to ease things for residents. We urge the transport minister to allow Noida RTO to continue DL process services in the old RTO office till the new DTC built in Noida,” Jain said.

Jain added that “travelling from Noida to Dadri, around 40 km, is time consuming plus a waste of money. If someone travels by his/her car of DL process, it will cost more than ₹500 in fuel at a time. And, it is not confirmed that the person will get the license process done on the day he travels”.

The transport department should work for the feasibility of residents and continue services at the Sector 33 office, he added.

Siyaram Verma, assistant regional transport officer (ARTO, administration), Gautam Budh Nagar, said, “We will follow orders from the transport department, Lucknow, if they (senior officials) allow us to continue services in the Noida office, we will.”

Asked if there is any chance that a new private DTC centre will open in Noida in future, the ARTO said, “As of now, no one from Noida approached us. To open DTC, the private player needs two acres of land; if someone approaches us and meets the required criteria to open DTC, we will consider it and open the service in Noida.”

On Thursday, the Noida RTO issued notification to inform that the Noida transport department office in Sector 33 will no longer process driving license applications from July 31 as the UP government has outsourced the process to two private agencies.

The two private agencies—Shivam (Marbles) Driving and Training Centre (DTC)—will run the service out of an office Bisada in Dadri, Greater Noida, from August 1.

“Through public-private partnership (PPP) model, the state government is planning to engage private agencies to set up driving and training centres,” said Siyaram Verma, assistant regional transport officer (ARTO, administration) Gautam Budh Nagar.