CHENNAI: Three weeks after 37 smart cards of vehicle registration certificates (RC) went missing from the Tambaram Regional Transport Office (RTO) allegedly during an altercation among a section of transport employees over giving preferential treatment to select touts, the transport department has earmarked Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays exclusively for persons, who are not applying through driving schools, to apply for transport-related documents.
As per this new directive issued by Transport Commissioner L Nirmal Raj, all applications processed through driving schools will hereon be entertained only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. This regulation which came into effect on September 6, is aimed at curbing the interference of touts at RTOs. The public can approach RTOs for services without advance booking on the parivahan portal, whereas advance booking of slots will remain mandatory for those applying through driving schools.
The move is aimed at curbing the rampant corruption at RTOs, wherein transport department employees colluded with driving schools and touts with regard to issuing driving licences and other transport-related documents, said officials. The general public was often subjected to harassment and failed intentionally in the driving test when they approached RTOs directly. As a result, many were forced to apply through driving schools after spending huge sums of money, rued applicants. Until now, driving tests for everyone were conducted together all weekdays.
Apart from the regular fee, the driving schools had been charging Rs 500 to Rs 800 for a two-wheeler riding licence and Rs 1,000 to 1,800 for a four-wheeler driving licence. This additional amount was allegedly distributed among touts, driving schools and employees of RTOs, said sources.
“Now, anyone who knows how to drive can directly approach the RTO for LLR and driving test on the specified dates,” said a senior official from the transport department. The department will also monitor if the RTOs are intentionally failing applicants who are not applying through driving schools, added the official.
It may be recalled that on August 17, five employees of the Tambaram RTO were suspended after 37 smart cards of registration certificates went missing from the office. Internal and police inquiries revealed that the incident was a result of a fallout between two groups of transport employees over prioritising applications received through touts.