Hyderabad: The state government has issued strict instructions mandating that all officials in government departments maintain punctuality and adhere to attendance rules. While the biometric attendance system has helped streamline processes at the State Secretariat, departments like the Regional Transport Offices (RTO) continue to suffer from lax enforcement. Officers fail to arrive on time, causing significant inconvenience to the public.
Many citizens who book their slots online face unnecessary delays as no officials are available at the scheduled time. Applicants are often left stranded with no one to address their grievances.
Even the Transport Commissioner is frequently unavailable, citing meetings at the Secretariat. With no biometric system in place even in Khairatabad RTO, frustrated applicants who question the delays receive dismissive responses like, “Complain to whomever you like.”
Public frustration has been growing, with general citizens and union leaders demanding the installation of biometric systems at all RTO offices. They emphasise the need for strict monitoring of attendance and punctuality.
In several instances, applicants have missed renewing their licenses due to the absence of medical officers, who fail to arrive on time for mandatory medical tests. Meanwhile, if applicants arrive slightly late due to these delays, officials refuse to process their requests.
Another critical issue is the acute shortage of plastic cards used for printing licenses and registration cards. This has resulted in severe delays, with applicants waiting up to 10 days to receive their documents. Venkatesh Kamble, an applicant at the Khairatabad RTO, shared his experience, stating, “I arrived at 10:15 am for my 10:30 am appointment, but the officer didn’t show up until around 11 am. By the time my process was completed, it was almost 12:30 pm. The lack of punctuality among staff causes crowding, making the process even slower.”
Each RTO office handles over 500-600 transactions daily, including issuing registration certificates (RCs), driving licenses, duplicate licenses, renewals, and other transport-related services. Despite this high volume, offices often start functioning later than their stipulated hours.
Telangana Auto and Motor Welfare Union General Secretary, M Dayanand, pointed out that RTOs in Greater Hyderabad witness over 500 visitors daily, many of whom experience delays due to staff absenteeism. “Office hours officially begin at 10 am, but many employees arrive late. On average, RTO employees work for only about five and a half hours a day, which is simply insufficient, given the workload,” he said.
At the Bandlaguda RTO, visitors often wait for over an hour due to staff tardiness. Mohammed Mahmood
Hussain, an activist from the Old City, remarked, “Hundreds of applicants visit the office daily, only to be frustrated by long wait times and inefficiencies.” Transport vehicle drivers, including auto-rickshaw and heavy vehicle operators, also struggle with delays in license renewals due to absent inspectors.
