Motorists find bribery easy
RTAs fail to get act right
Motorists going to the Road Transport Authority offices when faced with unresponsive officers are taking the easy path by either bribing them or approaching agents.
At most of the RTA offices in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy and Medchal districts, motorists are having problems with the lower-level staff and security persons when they approach transport offices to obtain driving licences, to get registrations of motor vehicles, fitness certificates of vehicles and for non-objection certificates.
Brokers, who technically turned into agents at RTA offices earlier, and agents from the showrooms have established their addas at RTA entry points. As the motorists arrive, they approach them for speedy, easy work to save time since they don’t mind spending some money on their commissions.
At majority of transport offices, motorists who appear for driving tests directly without the assistance of agents are facing a bitter experience. When it comes to applying or bidding for fancy numbers, agents play a key role.
Mr Mohammad Afsar, a B Tech student from Asmanghad, said he had failed the learners’ licence test in the first attempt and succeeded in the second attempt. “When I was appearing for the driving test, a few staff, influenced by agents, assisted the other applicant, who sat beside me at the computer test. Instead of the applicant, the staff entered the answers. Later I came to know that the applicant came through an agent,” he said.
On Wednesday, a senior citizen, Mr B. Prabhu, visited the Hyderabad Joint Transport Commissioner’s office and explained how he had been encountering problems in meeting with the North Zone RTO. “I have been trying to get an original NoC for my vehicle for three months. When I visited the office, the staff did not allow me to meet the RTO. A few others from e-Seva suggested that I meet the JTC to rectify the problem so I came here,” he explained to JTC J. Pandurang Naik.
Responding to this, Mr Naik made a call to the RTO and directed him to allow visitors to meet him to express their grievances. “I’ll direct all the RTOs to spare time for the public,” he said.