27 July,2015 01:33 PM IST | | Shashank Rao
Instead of making the process simpler, faulty links and servers have made online applications for learners’ licences a dead end on the state transport dept’s website
It was to great cheer that the state transport department had announced that citizens would no longer have to queue up at RTOs to apply for learners' driving licences but could instead just do it online at the click of a button. Far from making things simpler, however, the online process seems to have hit a dead end, with links on the website not functioning.
Try applying online for a learner's licence and this error message (down) will greet you, as mid-day discovered yesterday while using the state transport department's website. File pic for representation
The website mahatranscom.in has a tab stating âWebsite link to take appointment'. However, when one clicks on this new link, an error message crops up, as mid-day discovered yesterday. Another page gives instructions for the application procedure and provides yet another link redirecting users to another site, sarathi.nic.in.
Try clicking on this and there's only more disappointment in store, with yet another error message. While online applications were introduced as early as December 2013 (first by the Andheri RTO, followed by the others), sources said that there have been glitches with the facility several times in the past, as the servers were either very slow or would hang quite often.
When mid-day contacted Transport Commissioner Sonia Sethi, she said, "I will have to check about this problem." However, RTO officials agreed that while they would earlier receive as many as 800 applications every day from the Andheri, Wadala and Tardeo RTOs, this number has dropped down to 600.
This is partly because of the difficulties users have faced with the website, said officials. Try applying online for a learner's licence and this error message (right) will greet you, as mid-day discovered yesterday while using the state transport department's website
