RTO Pune to conduct driving licence tests on Sundays, public holidays

The Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Pune will now conduct tests for learning and permanent licences for residents on Sundays and public holidays, beginning March 10, in order to reduce the number of pending cases.

Currently, applicants take online appointments for learning and permanent licence tests. The dates for online appointments for learning licence have been given for the month of May 2019 and for permanent licence test, the appointment dates go beyond June 2019.

However, now residents can make appointments for these tests on Sundays or public holidays, just two days before the date they want to appear for it. This initiative will start from March 10 (Sunday). Appointments can also be made for Monday, which is a public holiday for Mahashivratri.

“Since the online appointment system started, the date for appointments for both learning and permanent licence tests, at the Institute of Driving Training and Research track in Bhosari, was going beyond four-five months. The learning licence is valid only for six months and within that time frame, the applicant has to give the test for the permanent licence. However, many complaints were registered with the RTO that the appointment date for the permanent licence test was scheduled beyond six months. The applicant, then, had to again give the learning licence test and hence, we increased the daily quota for tests by 30 applicants,” said Sanjay Raut, deputy regional transport office, RTO, Pune.

“Now, we are going to start conducting tests on weekends and also, on public holidays. During these days, our RTO inspectors will be appointed on rotational basis and they will be conducting the tests,” added Raut.

The test for four-wheeler permanent licence is conducted at the Institute of Driving Training and Research computerised sensor track in Bhosari. While the test for permanent licence for two-wheelers is held at the Phulenagar RTO on Vishrantwadi road. The learning licence test is conducted at the Pune RTO office near Sangamwadi.

Siddhant Somawanshi, a college student, said, “Two months ago, I got my learning licence and I was about to take an online appointment for the permanent licence test. I had heard from an agent that it would take four to five months for the test appointment, but now if we are getting the test appointment for Sundays, it will be great. Also, I won’t have to skip my college and go for the test.”

Residents relieved

1) Getting a licence from the Regional Transport Office in Pune has been painstaking for residents as it took three-four months in order to get an appointment for a learning or permanent licence test respectively.

2) However, the validity of a learning licence is only six months and if a resident did not get an appointment for the permanent licence test within this time frame, he/she would have to again give the test for the learning licence again.

3) When residents complained of this vicious cycle, the RTO increased the daily quota of tests by 30 applicants. However, this failed to solve the problem.

4) Now, the RTO will start conducting tests on Sundays and public holidays to decrease the pendency.