Leaking roof, waterlogged campus: RTO office in Noida in dire need of repairs

The office is located in a rented building owned by Noida authority, but basic amenities such as drinking water, restrooms, and waiting areas for visitors are missing

The transport department office in Noida is dreading the approaching monsoon, as its leaking roofs and its frequently waterlogged campus are yet to be repaired, said transport department officials, adding that visitors are facing inconvenience in the absence of much needed repairs.

The RTO office caters to nearly 2.5 million residents of the district, and more than 500 people visit the office regularly for work related to registering new vehicles, obtaining NOC for old vehicles, driving licences, and transferring ownership of vehicles. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The RTO office is located in a rented building owned by Noida authority in Sector 33. Basic amenities such as drinking water, restrooms, and waiting areas for visitors are also missing, informed transport officials.

“The RTO building needs repair as the roof leaks and damages important files. Efforts are underway to safeguard the files,” said Siyaram Verma, assistant regional transport officer (ARTO), Noida.

“We have requested the authority and transport commissioner to rectify the building issues. Apart from repairs, we have requested for amenities such as drinking water, restrooms, and a waiting area for visitors,” said Verma.

The RTO office caters to nearly 2.5 million residents of the district, and more than 500 people visit the office regularly for work related to registering new vehicles, obtaining no objection certificate for old vehicles, driving licences, and transferring ownership of vehicles.

Anuj Jain, who had come for driving licence, said, “There is no proper waiting space for visitors. It is difficult to spend half an hour in this office as it lacks basic amenities. I wanted to use the restroom, but after a search, I was informed by some official that there was none. The authorities concerned should address the issue.”

Noida Authority’s deputy general manager (civil), Vijay Rawal, said, “The problems faced by the transport department office is known to us. But as per the terms and conditions of the lease agreement, the RTO Gautam Budh Nagar is responsible for any repair work of the office building. A file was also made in this regard and a senior official would take a call on it. We can address issues, if any, that are outside the office building. If the campus is waterlogged, we will address it,” he said.

The Noida Authority previously developed a traffic park in Sector 108 for the transport department, at a cost of ₹80 crore. It featured amenities such as a practical driving track, a toy train railway track, an administrative complex, an auditorium, a cafeteria, solar blinkers, traffic signals, an auto number plate reader, and life-sized models of pedestrian crossings, roundabouts, foot overbridges (FOBs), and underpasses.

However, following the introduction of the police commissionerate system in Noida in January 2020, the premises were reassigned to the police department and converted into the police commissioner’s office.