Sarathi Lags In Showroom Registration Of Vehicles
Sarathi portal yet to deliver on showroom-based vehicle registration promise; RTA offices strained amid staff shortage and rising demand.
Hyderabad: The transport department’s much-touted Sarathi centralised portal, launched in April to streamline RTA services such as driving-licence issuance, vehicle-registration transfers and address changes, has yet to deliver on its most ambitious promise: showroom-based vehicle registration.
Officials say the showroom-registration policy was announced over a year ago but remains stalled. “There are no concrete steps from the government to implement this policy as of now,” a senior transport department official told Deccan Chronicle, adding that the commitment was only made orally and lacks any supporting paperwork.
Meanwhile, the burden on existing RTA offices grows. On average, 2,500-3,000 new vehicles are registered daily across the state, most within the GHMC region, yet chronic staff shortages at all 33 RTA offices force buyers to wait for hours. Transport documentation expert Krishna Charry argued that showroom-based registration could alleviate these issues: “Registering vehicles at the point of sale would bring significant relief to buyers, eliminate touts and reduce workload on RTA staff.”
