Hyderabad: Motorists find bribery easy
Motorists who appear for driving tests directly without the assistance of agents are facing a bitter experience.
Hyderabad: Motorists going to the Road Transport Authority offices when faced with unresponsive officers are taking the easy path by either bribing them or approaching agents.
At most of the RTA offices in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy and Medchal districts, motorists are having problems with the lower-level staff and security persons when they approach transport offices to obtain driving licences, to get registrations of motor vehicles, fitness certificates of vehicles and for non-objection certificates.
Brokers, who technically turned into agents at RTA offices earlier, and agents from the showrooms have established their addas at RTA entry points. As the motorists arrive, they approach them for speedy, easy work to save time since they don’t mind spending some money on their commissions.
At majority of transport offices, motorists who appear for driving tests directly without the assistance of agents are facing a bitter experience. When it comes to applying or bidding for fancy numbers, agents play a key role.
Mr Mohammad Afsar, a BTech student from Asmanghad, said he had failed the learners’ licence test in the first attempt and succeeded in the second attempt. “When I was appearing for the driving test, a few staff, influenced by agents, assisted the other applicant, who sat beside me at the computer test. Instead of the applicant, the staff entered the answers. Later I came to know that the applicant came through an agent,” he said.
On Wednesday, a senior citizen, Mr B. Prabhu, visited the Hyderabad Joint Transport Commissioner’s office and explained how he had been encountering problems in meeting with the North Zone RTO. “I have been trying to get an original NoC for my vehicle for three months. When I visited the office, the staff did not allow me to meet the RTO. A few others from e-Seva suggested that I meet the JTC to rectify the problem so I came here,” he explained to JTC J. Pandurang Naik.
Responding to this, Mr Naik made a call to the RTO and directed him to allow visitors to meet him to express their grievances. “I’ll direct all the RTOs to spare time for the public,” he said.
Cameras at ‘VIP’ office helps smoothen things
Following a few precautions and adopting technology, the Central Zone RTA office on the premises of the central office in Khairatabad is successfully controlling the agents’ network.
The Central Zone Road Transport Authority office has installed CCTV cameras as it is visited by film stars, ministers, politicians and bureaucrats. Whenever senior officials spot motorists facing problems while entering the office, they direct the guards to assist them.
Other RTA offices and driving tracks do not have such facilities, and this is becoming a boon for the agents. In Ranga Reddy and Medchal districts, except at the office of the District Transport Officer, no surveillance of higher officials is maintained.
Where you can complain
Central Zone: rto1_hyderabad@tstransport.in
040-23311269
North Zone: rto_hydnorth@tstransport.in
040- 27742568
East Zone: rto_hydeast@ tstransport.in 040- 24548999
South Zone: rto_hydsouth@ tstransport.in 040- 24442726
West Zone: rto_hydwest@tstransport.in 040- 23525253
DTO Ranga Reddy: dto_rangareddy@ tstransport.in 040- 24019355
RTO Ibrahimpatnam: rto_ibrahimpatnam@tstransport.in
DTO Medchal: dto_medchal @tstransport.in
040- 27230388
RTA Uppal: rto_uppal@tstransport.in
DTO Vikarabad: dto_vikarabad @tstransport.in