Pune: RTO Agents Profit As Citizens Grapple With Driving License And RC Delivery Delays
Pune, 2nd September 2023: The number of complaints from citizens regarding non-delivery of driving licenses (DL) and Vehicle Registration Certificates (RC) to their homes is on the rise. Frustrated by the lack of satisfactory responses from both the postal department and the Regional Transport Office (RTO), many individuals are resorting to paying RTO agents to resolve the issue.
Driving licenses and vehicle registration certificates are typically dispatched to the home addresses of recipients by the RTO. However, a growing number of citizens visit the RTO daily to inquire about the status of their documents, as they have not received them. They are informed at the RTO that the documents are with the postal department.
Subsequently, when these citizens approach the postal department for clarification, they are directed back to the RTO. Amidst this confusion, citizens find themselves without their driving licenses and vehicle registration certificates, even after nearly a year.
As a last resort, citizens are turning to RTO agents for assistance. These agents are charging fees ranging from two to two and a half thousand rupees to facilitate the issuance of the documents. This practice has raised questions about the efficacy of the RTO and postal department’s processes. Both organizations claim that incorrect addresses are the primary reason for the delivery failures. However, concerns are also being raised about why these documents are not directly handed over to the concerned citizen after contacting them, especially when their mobile numbers are available.
The revised policy of the license and vehicle registration certificate printing center has posed significant challenges for citizens. Across the Maharashtra state, hundreds of thousands of licenses and vehicle registration certificates have yet to reach their intended recipients, creating a statewide issue.
Raju Ghatole, President of the Motor Driving School Owners Association, has urged Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar to address this problem urgently.
“Documents that cannot be delivered due to incorrect addresses are returned to the RTO. The rate of returns attributed to missing addresses is only half a percent. Efforts are underway to expedite the delivery of these documents to citizens”, said Sanjeev Bhor, In-charge Regional Transport Officer.
“The rate of return for vehicle licenses and registration certificates due to missing addresses stands at 2 to 3 percent. A center has been established at the main post office in Pune to facilitate the collection of these returned documents by citizens. Our top priority is ensuring the timely delivery of these important documents”, informed SP Dalvi, Manager, Department of Postal Business.
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