E-Paper
Pune RTO ensures shorter waiting period for driving tests
From May 1 onwards, 225 driving tests will be held per day; earlier 175 tests were conducted
Learning licence applicants who wait for at least three months to get an appointment for a driving test in the Regional Transport Office (RTO), Pune will now have a shorter waiting period. The RTO Pune, has increased the quota of driving licence tests conducted per day by 50.
The current number of driving tests conducted by the RTO on the tracks of Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR), Pune is 175. However, from May 1 onwards, this number will be increased to 225 tests per day.
Sanjay Raut, deputy RTO officer said, “Initially 250 tests were conducted per day on the IDTR tracks. However,following the Supreme Court’s order, the state transport department, in September 2018, suspended 37 RTO officials. Hence the number of tests were reduced to 175 owing to staff crunch.”
Raut added, “Now the officers have resumed their duties. Hence, we have decided to increase the number of driving tests conducted per day.”
According to RTO officials, after getting a learning licence, the applicant has to wait for one month to reapply for a permanent licence.
An RTO official, requesting anonymity said, “Pune has a significant number of learning licence and permanent driving licence applicants. Once the one month tenure of the learning licence is over, the applicant has to wait for nearly three months to get an appointment for a driving test in the Pune RTO. However, this wait will reduce from May 1.”
RTO to auction 600 abandoned vehicles
The Regional Transport Office (RTO) Pune will auction 600 abandoned vehicles that are lying in the RTO headquarter office premises in Sangamwadi for a year.
These vehicles will be auctioned once the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections is relaxed. The model code of conduct came into effect on March 10.
These vehicles include two-wheelers, cars, buses, tempos and trucks.
A senior RTO official, requesting anonymity said, “We have scheduled a phase-wise auction of these abandoned vehicles. In the first phase 250 vehicles will be auctioned. However, the process of the auction has been delayed as the model code of conduct for the elections had come into effect on March 10.”
According to RTO officials, these vehicles, have been abandoned by their owners after the vehicles were confiscated by the RTO officials for the violation of RTO rules like no fitness certificates, and non payment of road
However, these vehicles are a hindrance as there is not enough parking space at the Pune RTO office.
“All these abandoned vehicles have occupied a lot of space, owing to which there is no space left for the citizens who visit the RTO office to park their vehicles. Not only citizens, but few officers and employees also face the same problem,” said another RTO official.
