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Indian Express
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Indian Express
Long wait continues for driving licence, RC applicants in Punjab
Four months ago, Ropar resident Harjeet Singh purchased a second-hand commercial heavy haulage trailer. He had got the transport vehicle refinanced from a bank. He had applied for a Registration Certificate at the Mohali Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Punjab in January. However, even after four months, he is yet to get a printed copy of his RC. Harjeet Singh, who was anticipating to make money through the commercial transportation of the newly purchased heavy vehicle, is among the 5 lakh people in Punjab who have been waiting for their Driving Licence (DL) and RCs since last December, due to the state government's delay in issuing the documents. The government landed in a soup after Smart Chip Private Limited, which was entrusted with the printing of driving licences and RCs in chip cards, exited prematurely in November last year. 'I have made umpteen rounds at the RTO office. I am told to go back and wait. I have started paying instalments to the bank, but my trailer continues to be in the parking lot. In the absence of an RC, I am unable to get a national permit for the heavy commercial vehicle,' said Singh, who agrees that many such small transporters like him are on the verge of getting into depression. 'How can anyone pay such heavy instalments with a vehicle waiting to ply on the roads? If we ply them illegally, there is a huge fine if we get caught,' Singh told The Indian Express. He said not only were the RCs and DLs not printed, but no other work was also being taken up. 'I am waiting to get the hypothecation removed of another vehicle from its RC. However, that too is not being done. Whenever I go there, they tell me that after the Vigilance crackdown on transport officers, the work is pending.' Daljeet Singh, a cab driver, has also been struggling to get the RC of a car he purchased to ply as a taxi. 'I have not been able to get the RC from RTO in Mohali. I have visited the RTO several times, but to no avail. I cannot take my car to Chandigarh and other places outside the state as I do not have a printed RC,' he said. He added, 'For other vehicles, I am unable to get a fitness certificate from the RTO. And, no fitness certificate means I cannot get a national permit. My work has stopped. I am frustrated.' On April 21, the state government told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that there was a pendency of 4.5 lakh RCs and DLs. A government official told The Indian Express that they had been able to clear this pendency by half after purchasing the chip cards. A traffic expert, Kamal Soi, however, contested the claim of the government. 'There is no change in the pendency. It continues to remain the same. New applications are added every day. Do you know anyone who is getting the DL and RC? No one,' said Soi, who is planning to file a public interest litigation (PIL) in two to three days. 'They do not have a system. I am preparing a case of how the people are harassed, but the government is looking away,' he added. Meanwhile, a senior government officer said that they were in the process of inviting tenders for the printing of these documents. 'The process will take two to three months. After that, everything will be streamlined,' the officer said. 'We have called employees from other departments on deputation to the transport department. We will assign them duties. Some will man the driving test tracks, others will be printing the documents. We hope that the work will be streamlined,' he added. The development came after the High Court on April 21 asked why the government is not getting this work done by people on contract, as there was no shortage of unemployed people in the country. The court had ordered the Punjab government to file an affidavit in the matter. Soi pointed out that the government cannot invite tenders till they get a stay vacated on inviting tenders from the High Court. 'All they have to do is submit to the HC that people are suffering, and the stay should be vacated. But they cannot even do that. They are caught up in a scam. The system is not working,' Soi remarked. The government has tried to allot the contract twice. Though tenders were floated, the process got mired in litigation after a private company opposed it in the High Court. In a PIL, Neha Shukla, who is also awaiting her driving licence, told the High Court that the people of Punjab have to wait for months for an RC. Soi has been demanding that the government award the contract to the Central Government's National Informatics Centre Services Inc (NICSI) so that the backlog is cleared. Since the government asked the company for a security deposit, the matter did not proceed further. 'We do not want any stop-gap arrangement. We will allot the contract to a company now so that the work goes on smoothly.' In April, the government had put former Vigilance chief S P S Parmar under suspension along with two other officers, including Swarandeep Singh and Harpreet Singh Mander, after the government busted an alleged transport documents racket. The suspensions were said to be due to their alleged failure to act against corruption in the transport department. However, Mander and Swarandeep were reinstated a few days ago.
Hindustan Times
20-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Post Lucknow bus blaze: 47 buses seized, ₹30L fined in Noida
Noida The Gautam Budh Nagar Transport Department has seized 47 private passenger buses and issued challans totalling nearly ₹30 lakh to 35 of them for rules' violations, officials said on Monday. The step followed an Uttar Pradesh transport commissioner directive issued in the light of a Delhi-bound private sleeper bus, running without permit, catching fire on the outskirts of Lucknow on May 15, leaving five people dead. 'Following the directive, we formed a five-member team under the supervision of the assistant regional transport officer (ARTO - Enforcement) and conducted intensive checks on May 15, 16, and 17,' said Gautam Budh Nagar ARTO Siyaram Verma. 'We are currently conducting a drive against autos and will continue the drive against buses every month with a fortnight's gap, to prevent any untoward incidents,' the ARTO added. The transport department's investigation found that bus owners and operators were overloading their vehicles beyond the prescribed capacity. Such violations significantly increase the risk of accidents, officers said. 'All regional RTOs have been instructed to check buses in accordance with the Bus Body Code — a regulatory framework that lays down uniform technical guidelines for the design, construction, and approval of bus bodies built on chassis by authorised bus body builders,' said UP transport commissioner B N Singh, adding that permits will be cancelled if any bus is found violating the rules. 'ARTOs have been instructed to carry out thorough inspections during the fitness certification process. This includes verifying the Registration Certificate (RC), insurance documents, Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate, road tax receipts, permit documents, chassis and engine number, engine performance, starting condition, exhaust emissions, and other parameters to ensure that buses meet safety and regulatory standards,' Singh added. Meanwhile, the investigation in the Lucknow bus incident revealed that an additional seat had been installed near the driver's cabin, blocking the main exit and making it difficult for passengers to escape. Preliminary findings suggest that the fire was caused by a short circuit, and the bus's emergency exit failed to open during the blaze. According to Noida transport department data, there are nearly 5,000 private buses registered with the Transport Department, in addition to 1,900 school buses in the district.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Time of India
In 3 days, 47 buses seized and 35 fined for flouting fitness norms
Noida: UP transport commissioner BN Singh has directed all assistant regional transport officers (ARTOs) across the state to crackdown on buses that are operating without fitness certificates or have made modifications in vio;ation of Bus Body Code. The directive came after five people died when a Delhi-bound private sleeper bus caught fire in the early hours of Thursday in Lucknow. The bus allegedly had no valid permit or fitness certificate since Oct 2023 and had made illegal modifications. According to Singh, some bus owners and operators overload their vehicles beyond the prescribed capacity, which increases risk of accidents. "All ARTOs must check buses in accordance with the Bus Body Code—a regulatory framework that lays down uniform technical guidelines for the design, construction, and approval of bus bodies built on chassis by authorised bus body builders. If any violations are found, the permits of such buses will be cancelled," he said. After the directive was issued on May 16, the transport department has seized 47 private passenger buses and issued challans totaling Rs 30 lakh against 35 others. "Following the directive, we formed a five-member team under the supervision of ARTO (enforcement) and conducted intensive checks at different places and seized 47 buses and fined 35 others," said Siyaram Verma, ARTO (administration). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo The ARTOs have also been instructed to carry out thorough inspections also during the fitness certification process. This includes verifying the Registration Certificate (RC), insurance documents, Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate, road tax receipts, permit documents, chassis and engine number, engine performance, starting condition, exhaust emissions, and more to ensure that buses meet safety and regulatory standards. Noida has nearly 5,000 buses registered with the transport department, including 1,900 school buses. Thursday's incident occurred around 5am on the outer ring road near Kisan Path in Lucknow's Mohanlalganj area. Media reports said that the bus was carrying 80 passengers at the time. When the fire broke out, the driver and conductor reportedly fled the scene, leaving passengers trapped inside. Passersby assisted fire officials and police in rescuing many passengers by breaking the bus windows. Investigation revealed that an additional seat had been installed near the driver's cabin, which blocked the main exit and made it difficult for people to escape. Preliminary findings suggest that the fire was caused by a short circuit, and it was also noted that the bus's emergency exit failed to open during the incident, officials said.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Time of India
UP transport commissioner orders statewide crackdown on unsafe, overloaded buses
ARTOs are directed to conduct thorough inspections, ensuring compliance with safety standards and the Bus Body Code. Permits will be cancelled for violations, and drivers will be sensitised to prevent overloading and ensure functional emergency exits. NOIDA: Uttar Pradesh Transport Commissioner BN Singh directed all assistant regional transport officers (ARTOs) across the state to launch a crackdown on buses following a tragic incident in which five people lost their lives. This occurred after a Delhi-bound private sleeper bus from Bihar's Begusarai caught fire in the early hours of Thursday on the outskirts of Lucknow. The incident occurred around 5 a.m. on the outer ring road near Kisan Path in the Mohanlalganj area. Singh said that some bus owners and operators overload their vehicles beyond the prescribed capacity, which significantly increases the risk of accidents. 'All ARTOs must check buses in accordance with the Bus Body Code - a regulatory framework that lays down uniform technical guidelines for the design, construction, and approval of bus bodies built on chassis by authorised bus body builders. If any violations are found, the permits of such buses will be cancelled. Additionally, drivers and owners of buses will be sensitised and instructed to strictly follow the rules in the future,' he said. The ARTOs have also been instructed to carry out thorough inspections during the fitness certification process. This includes verifying the Registration Certificate (RC), insurance documents, Pollution Under Control ( PUC ) certificate, road tax receipts, permit documents, chassis and engine number, engine performance, starting condition, exhaust emissions, and more to ensure that buses meet safety and regulatory standards. Media reports said that the bus involved in the Lucknow fire incident was carrying 80 passengers at the time. When the fire broke out, the driver and conductor reportedly fled the scene, leaving passengers trapped inside. Locals, assisted by fire and police teams, managed to rescue many passengers by breaking the bus windows. The investigation revealed that an additional seat was installed near the driver's cabin, which blocked the main exit and made it difficult for people to escape. Preliminary findings suggest that the fire was caused by a short circuit, and it was also noted that the bus's emergency exit failed to open during the incident. In Gautam Budh Nagar district alone, nearly 5,000 buses are registered with the transport department, including 1,900 school buses, underscoring the scale at which such inspections and compliance measures are needed.
Hindustan Times
23-04-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Irregularities in issuing RCs: Show cause notices served to 51 vehicle dealers, 28 ARTOs in UP
The Uttar Pradesh transport department has issued show cause notices to 51 vehicle dealers and 28 assistant regional transport officers (ARTOs) across the state following a review that uncovered significant irregularities and delays in the vehicle registration process, said a government spokesperson here on Tuesday. 'The action comes as part of a statewide effort directed by the Yogi Adityanath government to ensure the system is timely, transparent, and citizen-friendly,' he said. The department conducted a regular review of the dealer point registration system, analysing data entered onto the Vahan 4.0 portal between January and March. This analysis revealed widespread non-compliance with established procedures. Investigators, according to the spokesperson, found numerous instances where dealers allegedly delivered vehicles to owners before completing the registration process. Other common violations included uploading incomplete, illegible, or inconsistent documents to the portal, and failing to rectify issues even after applications were rejected and returned by the department. Critically, many owners reportedly did not receive their Registration Certificates (RCs) in a timely manner. The specific grounds for the crackdown include delivery of vehicles prior to registration, repeated uploading of unreadable, incomplete, or inconsistent documents, failure to make corrections despite departmental rejection of files and non-provision of the Registration Certificate (RC) to the vehicle owner on time. 'Based on these findings, show cause notices have been served to 51 dealers, including a prominent dealer in Lucknow. They have been given 14 days to provide a clear and satisfactory explanation. Failure to do so could lead to the suspension or cancellation of their Trade Certificates, according to official procedure,' the spokesperson said. The review also highlighted administrative indifference and lack of oversight within the transport offices themselves. Lapses at the ARTO level reportedly included significant pendency of registration files, approval of applications with errors, and a failure to adequately review compliance. Consequently, 28 ARTOs from the relevant districts have also been issued show cause notices for these supervisory failures. Transport commissioner Brajesh Narayan Singh said that the department's main goal was to provide timely and smooth services to citizens, as per the government's intention. 'Negligence at any level will be taken seriously, and strict action will be taken against the responsible persons or organisations as per the rules', he added.
