Despite the fact that over 80% of Regional Transport Office (RTO) services are now available online, many citizens still face the inconvenience of visiting the office in person. A significant issue causing frustration among drivers is the large backlog in driving license renewals.
This backlog is primarily due to a technical glitch in the Sarathi 1.0 system, which has remained unresolved for the past two months. Earlier, driving licenses were issued on paper and recorded in the Sarathi 1.0 system. However, after the system was upgraded to Sarathi 4.0, new licenses were directly registered in the updated version. For older licenses, the renewal process involves transferring data from the outdated system to the new one. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing issue with Sarathi 1.0, this data transfer has been halted, leaving many renewals stuck in limbo.
This delay creates significant problems for drivers. If their licenses expire and they are involved in an accident, insurance claims can be denied. As a result, many have opted to apply for new licenses, starting the process from scratch, which includes obtaining a learner’s permit and waiting a month for the conversion to a permanent license.
While licenses can be renewed up to a year after expiration, drivers with older, paper-based licenses are now facing fines during traffic checks because they cannot renew their licenses due to the system error. RTO officials are aware of the situation and are working to resolve the issue, but until then, drivers continue to face difficulties.