Delay in issue of smart cards at RTAs

Hyderabad: As many as 50,000 cards have piled up in the 11 Regional Transport Authorities (RTAs) in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts, leaving applicants in the lurch. According to officials, the delay of over a month in dispatching RTA documents like Registration Cards (RCs) in the state is due to the shortage of ribbons used for printing the cards.

According to sources, the documents, such as RCs, driving licenses, C-books, duplicate licenses, renewal cards, etc are delayed because of the shortage of ribbons in the RTA department. Sources said the printing has been halted even at the Khairatabad RTA office for the last four days. The dispatching of cards is pending for over one month in offices like Ibrahimpatnam, Bahadurpura and others. Mohammed Saleem, who is yet to receive his driving license, said, “I have been roaming around transport office for the past one month. I applied for driving license on 1 October and the entire process was complete.”

Another applicant, B Anji Reddy, applied for ownership transfer of his 8-seater motorcar bearing on November 13 in the Uppal RTA office. He is yet to receive his new RC though it has been over a month. He said that he had informed the officials that his urgency to go to Sabarimala, along with seven others. He is yet to get his card. He said that the officials told him to manage with the receipt given by the RTA.

Joint Transport Commissioner C Ramesh agreed that there was a shortage of ribbons in some of the offices. He said that the contractor who had to supply the ribbons failed to supply in time. He added that orders would be given to the contractors to supply and he would ensure the officials finish off the card dispatch as soon as possible. By Friday most of the cards will be dispatched, he further added. Telangana Auto and Motor Welfare Union general secretary M Dayanand said, “On Monday, I visited RTA Khairatabad, Uppal, Malakpet and Kukatpally and none of them is dispatching cards.”