With the state transport department having reduced the daily slots for driving licences at the Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) from the earlier over 800 to just 254 since last week and having fixed the slot booking window from 1 am to 4 pm daily, both motor driving schools and vehicle owners are seriously inconvenienced.
Vehicle owners, eager to obtain their driving licences, are forced to remain awake late into the night to complete the required formalities as soon as slots open. (HT FILE)
Due to the unavailability of morning slots, driving school operators are now advising applicants to stay awake at night to secure a booking. Vehicle owners, eager to obtain their driving licences, are forced to remain awake late into the night to complete the required formalities as soon as slots open.
Transport commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar issued a new set of guidelines related to driving licences last week. Under these rules, the Pune RTO’s daily quota for issuing driving licences has been significantly reduced. Earlier, the RTO could issue up to 800 licences per day but this limit has now been slashed to 254. As a result, waiting periods for applicants have increased sharply, and many vehicle owners are unable to get slots until the end of January.
Driving school operators have also pointed out technical difficulties in the online slot booking system. Although the official booking window is open from 1 am to 4 pm, system glitches over the past week have prevented many applicants from securing slots during the day. Consequently, driving schools suggest the night-time option, as the booking process officially begins at 1 am.
Pune witnesses the addition of more than 300,000 new vehicles on its roads every year, while around 175,000 new driving licences are issued annually. Given this high demand, stakeholders argue that imposing restrictions on the number of licences is unreasonable. With the daily limit reduced from 800 to 254, applicants may now have to wait for at least a month to obtain a driving licence.
The booking process itself is time-consuming. Sometimes it takes only a few minutes, while at other times applicants have to wait for up to half-an-hour. An OTP is sent to the applicant’s mobile phone during the process, and to complete this and other formalities, vehicle owners are compelled to remain awake at night.
Transport commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar acknowledged the issue, saying, “A new operational system has been introduced for driving licences under which, limits have been imposed on the number of slots. However, considering the situation in Pune, we are contemplating keeping the driving licence department operational even on Saturdays and Sundays. A decision in this regard will be taken soon.”
Motor driving schools have strongly opposed the changes. Raju Ghatole, president of the Maharashtra State Motor Driving School Association, said, “The slot timing should be restored to the earlier schedule of 10 am to 8 pm. Also, the cap imposed on the number of slots by the transport commissioner should be removed. As before, 800 slots must be made available every day.”
A licence applicant Kedar Mane said, “I have a full-time job and it’s impossible for me to stay awake every night just to book a slot. The system is exhausting and unfair. The authorities should increase the slots and allow bookings during normal daytime hours.”
