An exhaustive form is filled with thorough details on the identity. People are expected to provide copies of the ration card or passport for proof. There are policemen sitting in different corners to assess the forms.
A HUGE piece of land with few old trees surrounded by waste, a big dilapidated building blackened with age in one corner, stench emanating from all sides, staircase covered with layers of sprayed paan, open urinals, broken window panes and creaking doors. These are the scenes that welcome you at the RTO office at Wadala in Mumbai.
No matter how big or small a person one is in the society, one cannot get a driving license if he or she llives in the eastern and central regions of Mumbai, without stepping foot in this office. Despite this nobody seems to have complained on the shabby conditions in which the place exists. Maybe because taking a license is just once in a lifetime experience and affects no one later.Learning how to drive may be one of the most exciting things for a person, who has been thinking of a long drive since he or she turned 18. However, that dream isn’t so difficult to achieve as no matter how you drive, you will end up with a license in Mumbai without much effort. Most people here come to take licenses through a driving school. Let us check the procedure of obtaining a license.
An exhaustive form has to be filled with thorough details on the identity. They also are expected to provide copies of the ration card or passport for proofs. There are policemen sitting in different corners to assess the forms and ensure nothing is fake. However, the RTO also made headlines last year, when it was caught issuing 2.6 lakh duplicate licenses and failing to verify documents submitted by people.Later, the applicant is directed to a car or a two wheeler. He/she will have to drive while an inspector sits along to test. However, it is interesting to note that most inspectors do not even look at the way you drive. They are either busy chewing paan or talking to the men walking on the road while the car moves at snail’s pace. Often this place is crowded with lots of people eager to get their licences. Hence, the inspectors do not waste time and orders each one to take a very short drive which might extend to just 500 meters. Hence, most people end up with licenses even if the vehicle stops thrice in between the 500 meter ride.The next step in to enter the building to get a photograph clicked. The building is a place where only people with defunct nasal senses can stay for longer than few minutes. The strong stench of urine and dirt that emanates from all corners is so strong that it can make the healthiest of people faint. The floors never seems to have seen a broom, the walls are decorated with indefinite paan spraying. Every person seems to be running out for their dear life once the photographs are clicked. Later, the person is interviewed by an officer. Most often the questions asked during the shortest possible interview are the same – “What is your name and which vehicle have you learnt to drive?” These questions apparently help the officer judge the person’s driving caliber.Finally, it’s just a matter of 3-4 days or maximum of a week, before you get the license. No matter whether you still cannot differentiate the break from the accelerator, you have a driving license in hand.
