Long wait for driving licences: Officials blame it on Covid

Hyderabad: Want to apply for a slot for a driving licence? You will have to wait for a minimum of two weeks to get the slot and a couple of months to get the card. The reason is because the Transport department has cut down the number of slots for various services like learners' licence, renewals, transfer of ownership and so on citing the Covid protocols.

Still there is one way to get the licence early if you manage to get a slot. The easy way is to get a recommendation from a top official. Sources said that in all the RTA offices in the city, the average transactions taken up are around 800 to 1,000 during normal days but now the number has decreased to less than half. A senior official said it had to be done to prevent crowding in the RTA premises lest it could become a place for spreading the virus. "In most of the cases, there is an online facility and the applicant will have to come to the office for only 17 services," he said.

However, sources said that the Covid protocols were just an excuse and the real reason was shortage of cards in almost all the offices in the State. Sources said that it is taking three to four months to get a Registration Certificate (RC) after completing all the formalities. It is taking one month in Uppal, three months in Medchal and other RTA offices in the city. The number of driving tests in testing tracks have been reduced. During pre-Covid period the number of tests used to be around 600 to 700 a week but now an average of 50 tests are conducted.

While the common citizens are facing difficulties to get their driving licences, RCs etc, the influential people armed with recommendation letters from MLAs and senior officials can get their work done faster. Some are approaching the agents to get their work done. As per the rules, the applicant should be given a card within seven days of application, but this was not happening. When asked about the shortage of cards, the official said that the RTA offices should send an indent in advance so as to get the required number of cards but many are sending after the stocks are exhausted.

Telangana Auto and Motor Welfare Union general secretary M Dayanand demanded that the government release a white paper on the functioning of the RTAs. "The motorists should have to carry documents and if they don't, it amounts to crime and subject to action by the police authorities. They will have to face the brunt for the mistakes of the authorities," he added.