Pune: Shivajinagar resident Kalyan Bhausal visited the city's regional transport office (RTO) on Friday morning to inquire about changing the address on his vehicle's registration certificate. However, he found the premises almost deserted. For around 45 minutes, Bhausal tried to locate an official to assist him, but all counters were empty. "I didn't know about the ongoing government employees' strike. A man standing outside finally told me. I went to the first floor and found a few straggling officials who provided the information I needed. But work at the RTO is clearly hampered," he said.
Impact of the Strike
State government employees have been on an indefinite strike since April 21, pressing for several long-pending demands. Pune Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Archana Gaikwad stated that while licensing work continues as usual, tasks such as address changes, license renewals, vehicle ownership transfers, and loan transfers have been affected. "We have deputed assistant RTOs to answer public queries and help them. Some work is affected, but licensing procedures are proceeding without hiccups," she told TOI.
Driving Test Appointments
Some residents reported difficulty in securing fresh driving test slots. Hadapsar resident Pallavi Sarath said, "I tried but in vain. The strike seems to have impacted this activity. However, it could also be glitches in the Parivahan portal. Either way, the RTO needs to resolve the issue, as it could lead to a growing backlog." An anonymous RTO official countered this claim, stating, "People are coming for driving tests as usual, even for learner's licenses. There is no problem. Only some work at the RTO has been affected due to the strike. We haven't received any complaints about problems with test appointments or slots so far."
Campaigns Stalled
The protest has also halted certain RTO campaigns. Gaikwad mentioned, "Last week, we started a drive against malpractices in private buses, checking overcharging, overloading, and emergency door functionality. Around 290 buses were checked and 100 e-challans issued on April 19-20. But this campaign has been stalled by the strike. We will restart it once the stir ends." Sources added that action against errant cabbies, undertaken earlier this week, has also stopped for the same reason and will resume when the strike concludes.
