THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Regional Transport Offices (RTO), Thiruvananthapuram, may not be filled with agents today, but driving school instructors disguise here as agents and call the shots.
Hostile officials and lack of user friendly online services through the Motor Vehicle Department website help these agents thrive.
Mr A. Mohan, a techie who recently bought an SUV wanted to get a fancy registration number. He took a day’s holiday and decided to get the registration done on his own from Thiruvananthapuram RTO at Fort.
“The lone man on the inquiry counter spoke only short sentences and barely looked at my face. He mostly ordered me to go from department to department. I had got everything including purchase invoice handy,” Mohan said.
“After all the procedures in the RTO office was complete, I was sent to an official who was at the test ground in Muttathara. However he sent me back to the office claiming many details were unfilled and the day was over by then. So I went to an agent at Thaliyal,” Mr Mohan said.
The agent got the youngster his favourite number in three days. The agents enjoy free access to all departments whereas laymen in the RTO still get stepmotherly treatment.
Though the application process for most of the services can be initiated online, rarely one can complete them logically online. “The link for the online licence application was not opening for the past two days. So I came to the RTO directly and now I am told online services are back on track,” said Ms C Seetha.
Another licensee who had his ID defaced tried applying for a duplicate online. He could not complete the process as online payment is possible only for SBI and SBT customers.
A Fort based agent since 20 years told DC on condition of anonymity that most of the services he carried out related to vehicle tests.
“Vehicles over 10 year come for renewal of registration. Officials tend to reject vehicles citing petty faults if the customer goes directly. People don’t have time or patience to re-appear for a test,” the agent said.
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