All RTOs officially online now, but far from a smooth ride on Day 1

NEW DELHI: All regional transport offices (RTOs) in Delhi went online on Monday, but Day 1 was marred by technical glitches and missing infrastructure. Transport department officials, however, assured that the teething troubles would be streamlined within a week.
The RTOs have been turned into ‘e-RTOs’ with most transport services — from getting a driving licence to transferring a registration certificate — now available online and a visit to an RTO required only for processes such as a driving test.Even if someone has to pay a visit, he will have to make an online appointment to book a slot.

Despite initial hiccups, the RTOs did sport a different look even on the first day. The Surajmal Vihar RTO, which usually witnesses a melee every morning, was a scene of calm with almost no rush of applicants. “Most applicants are now availing services online,” said a transport official.
“I got an online appointment and my work got done in no time,” said a beaming Yogesh Sahni, a resident of Vishwas Nagar. “The entire process was easy and I did all transactions from my phone,” he said.
However, Pawan Kumar Gautam, another applicant, was not so lucky. “My money got deducted during booking an online appointment but it’s not reflecting on the website. I have been here for nearly two hours but it seems the staff haven’t been trained properly,” he said.
The department has already promised to put up helpdesks at RTOs for a fee of Rs 60. But, at Surajmal Vihar, only a single counter was operational, and, that too, without much effect.
Many others also complained that the online system wasn’t working properly. “The website is very slow and I couldn’t book a slot and had to come to the RTO,” said Sushil Rastogi at Mayur Vihar. “I have queued up to get my forms filled online and now I will have to stand in another queue to get the fees deposited.”
The department had started the online process at four RTOs — Janakpuri, Vasant Vihar, Mall Road and Indraprastha — more than a year ago but similar services were started in the other nine RTOs on Monday.
However, it still has a long way to go. While the Mall Road RTO, developed as a model, has airconditioned halls and other amenities, the one at Mayur Vihar doesn’t even have a waiting hall for applicants. “We have earmarked space for the hall and a token system will be introduced soon,” said an official at the RTO, which is also constructing additional helpdesks.
It was also evident that the department is yet to publicise the changes as many applicants queuing up at Mayur Vihar said they were not aware of the online steps. “There should have been better publicity of online facilities as many people like me just don’t know about the change,” said Vimal Singh, an applicant.