Work on the construction of the office of the Regional Transport Office here has been in full swing, following the sanctioning of funds to the Public Works Department three months ago.
At present, the RTO office housed at the Kamaraj Complex, forms one of the 13 offices accommodated in the area – which, by itself, testifies to the inadequate space on the premises. Transport Department officials told The Hindu on Saturday that the new building would facilitate more space for not only the officials but also the visiting members of the public.
The building is being built on a sprawling 1.6 hectares of land at a distance not far away from the railway station. The plinth area of the two-storey building would be about 10,000 square feet – including 7,500 on the ground floor and the balance 2,500 square feet on the first floor.
Separate rooms for the RTO, waiting hall for visitors, units for vehicle inspectors and above all record rooms would form part of the facility. “Unlike other departments where the period of preservation of records is just 20 years, it is mandatory for the Transport Department officials to preserve the records for four decades. Hence, more space has been allotted for the records room,” says the source. This apart, the testing track would be set up.
The work, executed at an estimate of Rs.2.58 crore, is expected to be completed by the end of this financial year, the source added.
Future expansion
The sprawling premises would be best utilised in future for providing additional infrastructure and services, source said. A training school with international standards on driving would be started in course of time.
