My experience with the RTO, Chennai (South)

ajmat · 15th December 2006, 13:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by benbsb29

@ajmat : plz cud u elaborate on what AASI is?

Automobile Association of South India

esteem_lover · 15th December 2006, 13:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979

I have lived in South(Kerala, BLR) for a long period of time and travelled to TN often. From my experience, even in BLR which is said to be full of corrupt officials, Delhi/Noida is much much worse. You guys down south are sure lucky. Over here the RTO offices can make you weep unless you know some local politician or are willing to lighten your purse strings.
With we had such officials over here too!

fully agree with you on this. And this applies to all government agencies too.

sreenivass · 15th December 2006, 17:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajmat

Automobile Association of South India

Hi,

it'll be extremely helpful if you could point us to their web site or a reference some where.

pingmepal · 15th December 2006, 17:51

Sreenivas,
I see some info about it here Automobile Associations - Automotive Association of Southern India (AASI) Not sure for our hyderbadies.......

cheers

slipstream · 15th December 2006, 19:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Subbu

Sometime back the Anti Coruption Bureau of TN conducted a series of raids on RTO's office. May be due to internal polictics but the effect is quite positive.

the raids were a result of a survey conducted by a popular tamil weekly on the most corrupted government departments in Tamilnadu....it wasnt surprising that 62% of the respondents had rated the RTO's as No.1 in corruption, followed by the Police Department and then the Tahsildar's offices....

typical knee jerk reaction by the anti corruption bureau.....unless these raids or at least the threat of them continue, we will soon have someone posting of their dreadful experience at the RTO....

when i had appeared for a driving test at the RTO - Central Chennai (then at Chetpet), I was told by my driving school that I had to purchase a ticket for a light music concert for Rs.500 from the RTO inspector. I refused to pay but took the test anyway and was promptly failed inspite of flawless driving. The inspector initially refused to give me a reason for failing me but when I began creating a scene at his office, he said that I had not looked at the rear view mirror before pulling over to a stop (which i knew was rubbish b'coz I had). What was worse was that I was given a date for a retest to be held 3 months later.....on the way out of the rto office, i had my driving instructor and a few other applicants sniggering at me saying "do you think u are a big lord ? do u think we are all fools to buy the ticket ? now suffer"

grrrrr.....that inspector's face is so fresh in my memory even 4 years after the incident that i would promptly mow him down if i happen to see him again

nitrous · 15th December 2006, 23:54

@slipstream: When in Rome,be a Roman!

esteem_lover · 22nd December 2006, 13:20

you see, It pays to pay.

benbsb29 · 22nd December 2006, 13:32

Quote:

It pays to pay

How true... but if only we all could do something about it, then they wudnt be so shameless in asking to pay. Had to get my bike re-registered here in Bangalore, from an AP registration. Realized the same the hard way.

ravradha · 22nd December 2006, 14:22

Recently my car was towed to RTO. The cost to me was: time - 3 hrs, Rs.400for RTO, Rs.50 for auto, and a lot of discomfort. I had parked my car in one of the lanes crossing cunnigham road. Later came to know that Sigma Mall has a paid parking. Have been using their services ever since. You can always find space there.

Buffetfan · 24th October 2007, 23:34

Recently I got my car transferred from my company to my name and realised that the guys have misspely my name on the RC book. WEnt back to them..they corrected it by pen (YES...pen on a plastic card RC). they keep telling me that that if they have to issue another RC book..it will have the words DUPLICATE printed on it....
all because some moron did not know how to type my name right!!

rr_zen · 25th October 2007, 00:27

You never know how important a pen (read that as your own pen) can become at the RTO office.

This is my experience with the Chennai West RTO in 2003 when I updated my address in my licence and also opted for a photocard licence. I (like everybody else) wanted to have a decent snap (if not the best) on my driver's licence. Somehow the photo taken turned out to be pathetic (the RTO guy used a webcam to take a still photo !) and there was little I could do about it. I came out slightly disappointed when something caught my eye on the card that he had just issued. My blood group was noted incorrectly. With a ray of hope I went back in to tell the concerned person of the error hoping he would send me in for a fresh card and a new photo. Instead, he was frantically searching for something that he could find nowhere. And suddenly I saw a smile in his face when he looked at something in my shirt pocket. It was my pen and he asked me for it. He diligently struck what was printed wrong and wrote down the correct blood group after reconfirming it with me ! With a beaming smile he returned my licence and asked me if I was happy. I could have never been happier.

esteem_lover · 25th October 2007, 00:35

Goes to show that looks don't matter especially on your DL.

madan80 · 25th October 2007, 10:11

well, i went through AASI for my license, and man, it was tough. the writen test for the LLR included road signs, i knew all except one.So I asked the examiner what that was and he was like- thats a sign used on the hills, but its not used anymore. :(

anyways, went to the RTO for the license- all smooth and no tension i thought it was because of AASI.

a few months ago i needed to change the address on my license, so I went to aasi, filled all forms, paid the fees and left. On a Saturday morning, I went to the RTO, within the next 40 mins, I filled everything, got my picture taken, they first gave me a printout of the license - asked me if all details were correct. Once I said it was right, they put the hologram and laminated it.
Thinking back -that was pretty neat! This is RTO (Central) - now in Aaynavaram.

csentil · 25th October 2007, 10:27

Automobilie Association of South India. Its in St. Marks Road in Bangalore. If you come from Residency Road and take a right into St. Marks road, there's a Petrol Pump on the right side. Its next to it.

Anyways here's the site: Automobile Association of Southern India - AASI

(always try Google, it never fails. :-) )

Wow that's really great with Chennai RTO. I remember the good old days when nothing moved without bribe.

In South India atleast once you pay a bribe things move. Its that institutionalized. Dunno about the North.

Venkatesh.C · 25th October 2007, 10:59

Its the individuals that make the difference. I remember that a few years back Passport offices in chennai were equally notorious. Then came an individual who took it upon himself to make Passport offices customer friendly and make service his priority and he made bold statements in the press to publish his agenda and true to his promise he has changed the face of how passport offices funcion today. People who took over after him have carried on his work.
If my memory serves me right the so called raid termed Tiruvanmiyur as the most corrupt RTO. Then came an RTO (the boss) who took it upon himself to change the face of this RTO and in the past few years things have been different. This thread is just a proof of it.
Now I'm sure each one of us want to be equally polite to these RTO officers who were courteous and meticulous.
I guess it just takes one good individual to light the flame and it just spreads.

15th December 2006, 17:51	#19
pingmepal BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 48 Thanked: 0 Times View My Garage	Sreenivas, I see some info about it here Automobile Associations - Automotive Association of Southern India (AASI) Not sure for our hyderbadies....... cheers
	() Thanks

15th December 2006, 23:54	#21
nitrous Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: UAE/Lon/Madras Posts: 6,965 Thanked: 325 Times View My Garage	@slipstream: When in Rome,be a Roman!
	() Thanks

22nd December 2006, 13:20	#22
esteem_lover Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Madras/Py Posts: 7,556 Thanked: 502 Times View My Garage	you see, It pays to pay.
	() Thanks

22nd December 2006, 14:22	#24
ravradha BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 231 Thanked: 161 Times View My Garage	Recently my car was towed to RTO. The cost to me was: time - 3 hrs, Rs.400for RTO, Rs.50 for auto, and a lot of discomfort. I had parked my car in one of the lanes crossing cunnigham road. Later came to know that Sigma Mall has a paid parking. Have been using their services ever since. You can always find space there.
	() Thanks

24th October 2007, 23:34	#25
Buffetfan Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,128 Thanked: 195 Times	Recently I got my car transferred from my company to my name and realised that the guys have misspely my name on the RC book. WEnt back to them..they corrected it by pen (YES...pen on a plastic card RC). they keep telling me that that if they have to issue another RC book..it will have the words DUPLICATE printed on it.... all because some moron did not know how to type my name right!!
	() Thanks

25th October 2007, 00:27	#26
rr_zen Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 1,799 Thanked: 400 Times View My Garage	You never know how important a pen (read that as your own pen) can become at the RTO office. This is my experience with the Chennai West RTO in 2003 when I updated my address in my licence and also opted for a photocard licence. I (like everybody else) wanted to have a decent snap (if not the best) on my driver's licence. Somehow the photo taken turned out to be pathetic (the RTO guy used a webcam to take a still photo !) and there was little I could do about it. I came out slightly disappointed when something caught my eye on the card that he had just issued. My blood group was noted incorrectly. With a ray of hope I went back in to tell the concerned person of the error hoping he would send me in for a fresh card and a new photo. Instead, he was frantically searching for something that he could find nowhere. And suddenly I saw a smile in his face when he looked at something in my shirt pocket. It was my pen and he asked me for it. He diligently struck what was printed wrong and wrote down the correct blood group after reconfirming it with me ! With a beaming smile he returned my licence and asked me if I was happy. I could have never been happier. Last edited by rr_zen : 25th October 2007 at 00:33.
	() Thanks

25th October 2007, 00:35	#27
esteem_lover Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Madras/Py Posts: 7,556 Thanked: 502 Times View My Garage	Goes to show that looks don't matter especially on your DL.
	() Thanks

25th October 2007, 10:11	#28
madan80 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Santa Clara, CA Posts: 1,360 Thanked: 80 Times View My Garage	well, i went through AASI for my license, and man, it was tough. the writen test for the LLR included road signs, i knew all except one.So I asked the examiner what that was and he was like- thats a sign used on the hills, but its not used anymore. :( anyways, went to the RTO for the license- all smooth and no tension i thought it was because of AASI. a few months ago i needed to change the address on my license, so I went to aasi, filled all forms, paid the fees and left. On a Saturday morning, I went to the RTO, within the next 40 mins, I filled everything, got my picture taken, they first gave me a printout of the license - asked me if all details were correct. Once I said it was right, they put the hologram and laminated it. Thinking back -that was pretty neat! This is RTO (Central) - now in Aaynavaram.
	() Thanks

25th October 2007, 10:27	#29
csentil Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,349 Thanked: 38 Times View My Garage	Automobilie Association of South India. Its in St. Marks Road in Bangalore. If you come from Residency Road and take a right into St. Marks road, there's a Petrol Pump on the right side. Its next to it. Anyways here's the site: Automobile Association of Southern India - AASI (always try Google, it never fails. :-) ) Wow that's really great with Chennai RTO. I remember the good old days when nothing moved without bribe. In South India atleast once you pay a bribe things move. Its that institutionalized. Dunno about the North.
	() Thanks

25th October 2007, 10:59	#30
Venkatesh.C BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 268 Thanked: 40 Times	Its the individuals that make the difference. I remember that a few years back Passport offices in chennai were equally notorious. Then came an individual who took it upon himself to make Passport offices customer friendly and make service his priority and he made bold statements in the press to publish his agenda and true to his promise he has changed the face of how passport offices funcion today. People who took over after him have carried on his work. If my memory serves me right the so called raid termed Tiruvanmiyur as the most corrupt RTO. Then came an RTO (the boss) who took it upon himself to change the face of this RTO and in the past few years things have been different. This thread is just a proof of it. Now I'm sure each one of us want to be equally polite to these RTO officers who were courteous and meticulous. I guess it just takes one good individual to light the flame and it just spreads.
	() Thanks