[wheelguy]

Regional transport officer (Tardeo), Subhash Pedamkar, said, waiting period for a learner’s license test at his RTO was as much as 20-30 days. It gradually reduced to a week, and now it is zero waiting-—where you get an appointment the next morning itself.

The learner’s license is generated by a computer minutes after you appear for and pass the test. The RTOs also held meetings with the postal staff, requesting them to speed up the deliveries.

MUMBAI: From Monday, there will be “zero” waiting period to get an appointment for a permanent or learner’s driving licence at three city RTOs—Tardeo (island city), Wadala (eastern suburbs) and Andheri (western suburbs, Bandra to Jogeshwari), officials said on Sunday.

For a permanent licence, you can apply and appear for the test on the same day, they added, clarifying that an applicant will be able to appear for the learner’s licence test a day after they apply.

As for the Borivli RTO, sources said that they too would be giving appointments without a waiting period soon.

Regional transport officer (Tardeo), Subhash Pedamkar, said, “We changed the system where agents are unable to block slots for appointments. We also increased the slots by 100-200 candidates daily. This has resulted in all candidates getting a chance to appear for the learner’s license test as per his or her convenience.”

The RTO will also shift all license-related work to a new building constructed on the premises, where the number of computers will be 25 instead of the current 12—thereby allowing more candidates to appear for the 10-minute learner’s license test at one time. This will ensure all the learner’s license tests are finished by 1-1.30pm instead of the usual 4pm, officials said.

Regional transport officer (Wadala), Purushottam Nikam, said that the online process has not only kept touts at bay, but has also ensured that the maximum number of citizens get appointments on time. “We achieved the zero waiting period and licenses are also being dispatched at the earliest,” he added.

Transport statistics show that city have RTOs issued 87 lakh driving licenses till date. Regional transport officer (Andheri), Abhay Deshpande, said that there were around 150-200 candidates arriving daily, and that now they had slots for over 300 candidates. “We can accommodate candidates even at the eleventh hour,” he said, adding that the license procedures had also been made more stringent and that candidates who had a poor knowledge of road signs and safety, or no driving skills were being “failed” in the tests. In fact, recently, around 3-5% of the candidates had failed in tests across the Mumbai region, sources said.

Source: ET Auto

[anjan_c2007]

A ground breaking feat, much like the good old days of yore, when you could walk in and get out with a "L" licence within a few hours. But the applicants per day were in the tens and not in the hundreds as of now.

Only hope some scam does not surface as had happened at Nagpur, RTO (MH 31) a few months ago. The AMVI's had given their passwords and login id's to RTO agents who cleared scores of "L" licences, even after office hours, late in the evening. The AMVI's and the touts numbering around 10 were arrested.