Sir,

For the last two months I have gone through the harrowing process to renew my Driving Licence (DL). Thank God it is only once in 5 years.

Notwithstanding excellence in software prowess of our country and the tall claims of digitisation of the processes to remove needless visits to RTOs by the Central Ministry of Transport, it pains to see the failure of online process and long queues at the RTOs.

Semi-digitisation has left the citizen midway wondering what to do. For example, I had gone through all the online steps to apply for DL and generate the digital application and Medical Certificate (MC), uploaded the same with proofs of residence and Aadhaar (getting a MC is another painful process having to run around Government Hospitals only. Why registered private doctors are not permitted is a question yet to be answered). When it comes to making payment and selecting a slot, the webpage crashes back to home page, repeatedly.

The whole objective of digitisation is lost. So, back to personal visit to RTO. Three long queues to pay the fees, get photographed and finally submit and get an acknowledgement. No separate queues for senior citizens.

At the photographing counter, I am told that all that I had uploaded online has not been received in the RTO system. After some jugglery I was photographed.

To finally submit the application with the expired Driving Licence along with an envelope is another queue of 60-70 persons. During these Covid-19 times, imagine the vulnerable senior citizen to stand in three long queues for hours in the sun or rain.

I therefore appeal to the officers concerned at the RTO to not only provide a separate queue for senior citizens but also make the online process of renewal of DL a complete seamless experience by hemming in unsewn boundaries of the process and make only one visit to the RTO, if only unavoidable?

– B.S. Shankara, Mysuru, 18.7.2021

You can also mail us your views, opinions, and stories to [email protected]