Nagpur: Many learner’s licence holders of Nagpur RTO will have to renew their learner’s licences and pay extra fees as the office is unable to accommodate their requests for permanent driving licence test slot upto December 31, 2020. The licence holders are those whose licences had expired during the lockdown. Union ministry of road transport and highways had extended validity of licences till December 31, 2020, as they could not be renewed during lockdown.
However, they did not take driving test slots until now and are clamouring for slots as the deadline nears. Applicants are expecting special arrangments by the RTO to clear the rush. “Despite having learnt driving, we cannot drive without permanent licence,” said an applicant Amitesh Mohite. Applicants pointed out several RTOs in the state had increased the slots for driving tests and also extended timings to clear the backlog.
Pune RTO is taking learning tests from 7.30am onwards and many other offices including the office of deputy RTO in Gondia are working on weekends to accommodate all LL holders.
"My learner's licence expired in the middle of lockdown (May 31). The government's decision to extend the document upto December 31 came as a respite. While filling the online form for permanent licence recently, I discovered no slots are available this month for giving tests. I then approached the RTO office in Giripeth. The officials said I need to get a fresh learner’s licence and appear for test in January next year,” said a LL holder.
He said if no slots were available, why did the portal ask for and accepted the fees? Will it be refunded? “If the government has extended the date till December 31, why RTO officials are not accepting applications till that date even if slot is given for next month? Why RTO is not working on weekends to clear backlog of tests," he asked.
A senior official from the city RTO clarified, “Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had extended the validity of licences and other documents till the December end. We are considering all these services being provided by the office.” Sources asked why these learners’ licence holders did not try to get slots in all these months since lockdown was lifted.
Given the rush, the RTO could accommodate applicants of LL holders whose date of expiry was September 30. The daily quota for learner’s licence and PDL in east office is 180 each, while the slots for both the licences are 138 and 194, respectively.
“With the existing quota and manpower we could not accommodate any more LL holders. So we are asking them to renew their LL.They won’t have to appear for test and would directly be eligible for PDL test one month after preparing the LL and can appear anytime within six months,” an official said.
Though both city and east offices do not have separate data on how many learner’s licences had lapsed during the lockdown, a senior official said both offices had increased the slots for renewal of other documents like permits, permanent driving licence etc.