MUMBAI: The Andheri regional transport office ( RTO ) is facing a backlash from touts for introducing a new online learner’s licence registration scheme , officials say.

A few chairs at the office were damaged on Monday—the first day the web system really kicked in—in an act of vandalism that officials suspect was “engineered” by touts. But touts and agents denied involvement, blaming instead citizens dissatisfied with the new learner’s licence registration system.

RTO officials said their attempts in the recent past to create transparency have been resisted by touts. The officials had lodged an FIR with the police early in December after receiving threats. Deputy regional transport officer Bharat Kalaskar said: “Since touts are losing business, they are instigating and misleading some citizens.”

Kalaskar explained there was some confusion among citizens on Monday. He said: “We are allowing 350 online applicants per day. Aside from them, 50 people who apply in person can take the learner’s licence test in the afternoon. We have put up notices at the token counters stating that only online applicants will be asked to come from 9.30am. For a regular token, one can come after 2pm. If some online applicants don’t turn up in the morning, their tokens will be given to those who come at 2pm.” On Monday, Kalaskar said, some citizens were irate at not getting tokens at 9.30am.

Regional transport officer P G Bhalerao denied any major law-and-order problem on Monday. “A few citizens who arrived in the morning were confused. Our officials sorted it out in 30 minutes.”

TIMES VIEW:

RTOs should go on doing whatever it takes to reduce corruption and the stranglehold of touts on the licenceissuing system. What’s happening at the Andheri RTO is part of an expected backlash and officials should not get cowed down by these threats and engineered acts of vandalism.

