Final driving test will be made stringent: Maharashtra transport chief

MUMBAI: Newly appointed Maharashtra transport commissioner Avinash Dhakne said he will make driving licence process 'stringent' and will give a facelift to 50 RTOs to make it citizen-friendly and also expedite use of information technology (IT) to reduce paper work and to keep touts at bay.
After his previous posting as Jalgaon collector, he took charge of the new role on Thursday and will hold meeting with the officials on Friday. He has replaced Shekhar Channe, who has been posted as managing director of MSRTC.
Dhakne has done his MBA from Australia. Recounting his days abroad, he said that getting a driving licence in that country was a "celebration." "It was a difficult task to get a licence and only those who knew all traffic rules and were good at driving got the licence. I want to ensure that a similar system is followed in our RTOs, especially for the final driving test," he said. The learners test was already computerised and had online appointments, he stated.
"I want to make RTO procedures hassle free for citizens with the use of IT --- as has been done at passport offices," he said, adding that every citizen coming to the RTO office should be happy and we should be an 'efficient service provider.'
"As a collector, I had worked towards road safety measures in the district and now this will be taken up at a state level. It is not just identifying the black spots, but conducting psychological and socio economic studies to analyse the cause of mishaps. We will also create more awareness among the public on road safety to bring down the fatality rate," he added.