HYDERABAD: Barely a week after implementation of penalty points system in Hyderabad, Rachakonda and Cyberabad police commissionerate limits, a heavy rush is being witnessed at all the 11 Regional Transport Authority(RTA) offices in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits. This, particularly because, driving without a valid licence would land one in jail as entire penalty point system is based on one’s driving licence.
Applicants going for the drivers’ licence test at any RTA offices are forced to wait for a week or two, even after booking slots online to undergo the test. The delay in getting the slot and appearing for driving test is resulting in many learners’ licence-holders losing the validity of their licence. They are forced to go through the same process all over again.
“Due to lack of testing tracks in the city, applicants are forced to wait for many weeks for the driving test even though the entire process is online,” said a senior transport officer.
On an average, the RTA offices under GHMC limits used to get over 700 applications for approval of driving licences and about 1,700 to 2,000 learner’s licence applications every day and in the recent times the number has gone up because of strict enforcement against driving without a valid licence, he said. “As all the tracks are far away from the city, the applicants have to spend an entire day to get their work done and are unable to go back to their offices,” he said.
Rush for DL
Over 2,000 applicants book slots online for learners’ licence and permanent driving licence on an average
Only five tracks for conducting driving test in all 11 RTA offices in GHMC limits major reason behind the rush
Applicants from Mehdipatnam and Khairatabad offices forced to undertake driving tests at Kondapur near Hitec city
Over 1,000 applicants go to Kondapur RTA office for driving tests during weekends
Applicants seeking licence from rest of the GHMC limits head to Uppal, Ibrahimpatnam, Medchal and Nagole