With the rising number of cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the city, the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Department on Monday instructed all the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) in the State to suspend tests for driving licences and fitness renewal of vehicles until further notice.
A circular issued by the Transport Commissioner to all RTOs stated that in accordance with the State government’s directives, RTOs should have only 5% staff working per day. The circular, however, said all vehicles under BS IV and their chassis on which bodies will be built later on should be registered before March 31, in accordance with a Supreme Court order.
The transport department last week had directed all RTO offices to conduct only 10% of the scheduled learning licence test and only conduct the final road test of those whose learning licence will be expiring on March 31. It has since stopped all learning licence tests across all RTOs.
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Every day, thousands of people visit RTOs across the city for driving licence tests. Moreover, commercial vehicles are required to be undergo a fitness test every year, barring which they are not allowed to run on roads. Senior transport department officials said since the State is undergoing a crisis, these steps had been taken and they will decide on the modalities of how they will accommodate the backlog after the lockdown is lifted.