The event took place at the RTO office in Trimulgherry, Secunderabad
Hyderabad: The Telangana State Road Transport Authority has switched to the national Sarathi portal. This move will streamline processes such as issuing driving licences, transferring vehicle registrations, updating addresses, and more. The centralised portal also opens avenues for faster services, including vehicle registration directly at showrooms.
Transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar officially launched the portal. The first set of driving licences was issued to Agniveers (Army personnel). Neeraj Gupta of the 4 TB Battalion was among the first batch to receive a licence. The event saw the presence of numerous Agniveers, NCC cadets, and officials from the transport department. All attendees took an oath to be responsible drivers on the road.
Addressing the gathering, minister Prabhakar said, “Transport is a subject that falls under both the Centre and the states. Telangana has now adopted the Sarathi portal, just like other states. Although this should have been implemented years ago, better late than never.”
The minister stated, “Telangana stands as a role model in road and transport administration. Many states visit us to learn and implement similar practices in their regions.”
He also highlighted the state’s initiatives on road safety, saying, “Accidents are a major concern. We have launched awareness programmes in schools and colleges. My vision is to make Telangana a zero-accident state. We will also adopt AI and enforce stringent rules similar to those in foreign countries.”
On electric vehicles, he said, “Telangana was the first to introduce an EV policy with exemptions on EVs. Despite a loss in revenue, we stood firm in our commitment.”
The minister also reminded the public about the upcoming vehicle scrapping policy. “We will soon begin scrapping vehicles that are over 15 years old,” he said.
Touching upon the caste census, he added, “Telangana led the way in conducting the caste census and has set an example. Now we urge the Central government to implement it nationwide.”
The event took place at the RTO office in Trimulgherry, Secunderabad. Prior to the launch, the minister also inaugurated the newly refurbished RTO building, which was previously in poor condition.
After the event, the minister interacted with the media. When asked about the proposed TGSRTC strike from May 7, and the possible inconvenience to the public, he responded, “The RTC trade unions have not approached me directly with their concerns. They issued strike notices on their own. We are working hard to strengthen RTC, which was once on the verge of closure and is now moving toward progress.”
He added, “My request to the RTC unions is to come forward for discussions. We can resolve all issues through dialogue. This is a people’s government that values transparency and open communication.”
