Chikhli residents drive RTO out of their playground
Proshun Chakraborty | tnn | Mar 13, 2019, 04:49 IST
Nagpur: The deputy Regional Transport Office (East) has landed in a spot after it was found illegally using a Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) playground at Chikhli in Kalamna to conduct driving tests since 2014. The office is facing a severe space crunch in the absence of proper testing track.
Chikhli residents, after consistent protests, have reclaimed their playground, forcing the RTO to shift its driving test track to an abandoned Maharashtra State Transport Corporation bus stop at Wardhaman Nagar.
As per records, East RTO office deals with almost 150 applicants of permanent driving licence and 70 applicants for passing of vehicles every day.
“With no space for a test track, the office was using NIT’s playground since October 2014,” Mahesh Dorlikar, a Chikhli resident, told TOI. Not just two and four-wheelers, but even driving test for truck drivers too was being held at the playground, the residents alleged.
This illegal use of playground damaged it to a great extent. “RTO’s illegal use deprived the locality’s children from using the playground,” said another resident Vinay Sahare.
On Monday, a group of residents from the locality led by youngsters prevented RTO officials from conducting the test. Consequently, it shifted the venue to its earlier place at MSRTC bus stop in Wardhaman Nagar.
Many permanent driving tests applicants told TOI there was no communication or information about shifting of test venue which is about three km from the east RTO office. Nitesh Hingne (name changed) said, “I had applied for permanent driving licence and I was given slot of 11am so I reached the east office.” Nitesh found the adjoining ground vacant. Fifty more candidates faced a similar situation and there was no one to tell them about change in venue.
Even assistant motor vehicle inspector Vivek Bhandare, who was present there, and a clerk in permanent driving licence section, refused to help the applicants.
TOI then visited the new test track and found the venue had no facility like toilet, drinking water or waiting room for applicants. Driving tests were supposed to start at 10am but commenced almost three hours later. It was because motor vehicle inspector Ninad Surve, who was assigned to conduct the test, arrived at 1pm.
Deputy RTO Vinod Jadhav, who is also in-charge of East RTO, told TOI that his office had used NIT’s playground to conduct permanent driving licence tests since October 2014. He admitted the tests were conducted at playground without obtaining permission from the civic agency.
Chikhli residents, after consistent protests, have reclaimed their playground, forcing the RTO to shift its driving test track to an abandoned Maharashtra State Transport Corporation bus stop at Wardhaman Nagar.
As per records, East RTO office deals with almost 150 applicants of permanent driving licence and 70 applicants for passing of vehicles every day.
“With no space for a test track, the office was using NIT’s playground since October 2014,” Mahesh Dorlikar, a Chikhli resident, told TOI. Not just two and four-wheelers, but even driving test for truck drivers too was being held at the playground, the residents alleged.
This illegal use of playground damaged it to a great extent. “RTO’s illegal use deprived the locality’s children from using the playground,” said another resident Vinay Sahare.
On Monday, a group of residents from the locality led by youngsters prevented RTO officials from conducting the test. Consequently, it shifted the venue to its earlier place at MSRTC bus stop in Wardhaman Nagar.
Many permanent driving tests applicants told TOI there was no communication or information about shifting of test venue which is about three km from the east RTO office. Nitesh Hingne (name changed) said, “I had applied for permanent driving licence and I was given slot of 11am so I reached the east office.” Nitesh found the adjoining ground vacant. Fifty more candidates faced a similar situation and there was no one to tell them about change in venue.
Even assistant motor vehicle inspector Vivek Bhandare, who was present there, and a clerk in permanent driving licence section, refused to help the applicants.
TOI then visited the new test track and found the venue had no facility like toilet, drinking water or waiting room for applicants. Driving tests were supposed to start at 10am but commenced almost three hours later. It was because motor vehicle inspector Ninad Surve, who was assigned to conduct the test, arrived at 1pm.
Deputy RTO Vinod Jadhav, who is also in-charge of East RTO, told TOI that his office had used NIT’s playground to conduct permanent driving licence tests since October 2014. He admitted the tests were conducted at playground without obtaining permission from the civic agency.
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