Pune, September 16, 2023 – Over 10,000 drivers in Pune are currently caught in a bureaucratic quagmire as they await their vehicle licenses from the Regional Transport Office (RTO). Meanwhile, the city’s traffic police are rigorously enforcing penalties on drivers found without the necessary vehicle licenses or vehicle registration certificates (RCs). As the backlog persists, drivers are grappling with the challenge of legally navigating the city’s roads.
This predicament arises from the transport department’s contract for vehicle licenses and RC smart cards, initially awarded to Rosmarta, which was later terminated after a brief tenure. The responsibility has now shifted to the Manipal Technology Company, based in Karnataka. While the issuance of smart cards began in September, the licenses and RCs generated between May 20 and August 20 are still pending, affecting a substantial number of motorists in the region.
Frustrated by the delay, officials representing the city’s driving school associations are urging the RTO administration to expedite the process and alleviate the growing concerns of drivers.
Vitthal Mehta, Vice President of the Maharashtra State Motor Driving School Owners Association in Pune, emphasized the severity of the situation, stating, “Thousands of drivers have not received their licenses since May 20. The concerned company has not yet started printing the backlog of smart cards. On the other hand, the police are taking action.”
Raju Ghatole, President of the Motor Driving School Association in Pune, underscored the dire consequences of the RTO’s inefficiency, saying, “Drivers are suffering due to the poor management of the RTO. The traffic police are not expected to take any action on showing the receipt or the license in the digilocker.”
Responding to the mounting concerns, Vijayakumar Magar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), assured drivers that the traffic police would be instructed not to penalize individuals who have yet to receive their licenses or RC smart cards from the RTO.
