Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, June 15: A significant number of individuals who have successfully applied for their driving licenses and passed the driving test are currently facing significant delays in receiving their licenses, leaving them in a state of uncertainty.
The Regional Transport Office (RTO) Kashmir, responsible for licensing, has come under criticism for its slow process of dispatching licenses, causing frustration and inconvenience for the applicants.
One of the affected applicants, Sajad Ahmad, shared his experience with Excelsior, stating that he passed the driving test in December last year but has been waiting since then for his license to be dispatched. “I have already paid the postal charges as well as the printing charges, both of which were collected at the time of applying for the driving license,” he expressed.
Other aggrieved applicants have reported similar experiences, noting that while their licenses have been generated online, they have not yet received the printed driving licenses for which they have already made payments.
This delay has resulted in inconvenience for individuals who have encountered situations where the police do not accept online documents, leading to fines. “How is that justifiable? If we have already paid, why can’t we receive the document in a timely manner?” questioned Jibran Ahmad, another applicant.
In response to the situation, some applicants have resorted to obtaining their licenses from vendors who provide printing services, albeit at an additional cost. A concerned applicant, who chose to remain anonymous, stated, “I approached the concerned office several times, requesting them to provide me with the soft copy of the license, but they even charge for that. It was better to get things done on my own.”
While the details of the licenses are available online, individuals are opting to have their licenses printed separately to avoid further complications. The applicants said that RTO Kashmir periodically publishes the list of applicants whose licenses have been dispatched. However, they said that despite passing their tests several months ago, they have not found their application numbers on the published lists.
Officials familiar with the situation revealed to Excelsior that the delay has persisted for the past year, and out of approximately 21,000 pending licenses, the majority have been cleared, noting that nearly 6,000 licenses remain in the backlog.
They explained that issues with the tendering process had caused delays due to technicalities. “During the initial rounds of tendering, only one bidder came forward, and this remained the case in subsequent rounds. The specialized material imported from Hong Kong is used in printing licenses because the normal material does not have the best quality,” officials stated. They added that all available materials have been utilized to clear the backlog.
The Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Kashmir, Syed Shahnawaz, acknowledged the delay in printing and dispatching licenses. However, he assured that the matter would be resolved soon. “Due to the tendering issue, there was a backlog of a significant number of licenses. It has been reduced, but the backlog still exists. The tendering process is nearing completion, and we are confident that the issue will be resolved soon,” Shahnawaz stated.
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