TOI did a test run on the online registration process for learner licence. And the experience was indeed frustrating -- our correspondent was unable to complete the registration process although trying it on two successive days. Here's his first person account.

I really did not know the website address of the Regional Transport Office, to apply for a learner licence for four wheeler (car). A google search for a few minutes helped in zeroing in on the proper website. However, this was just the beginning of a series of hurdles in getting the online registration done for obtaining a new learner licence from the RTO.There were several glitches. First, the sarathi website link could not open through the Mozilla Firefox or Google chrome browsers. It was clearly stated that ‘you shouldn’t continue’. The RTO website wouldn’t open on both the browsers. Only Internet Explorer__that too version 9 and above__can be used to log in and register online for learner licence.By clicking ‘New Learning License’ window, one can reach the Sarathi website. The message ‘There is a problem with this website's security certificate’ may flash and take you by surprise. But one can still select the option of ‘Continue to this website’ and access the Sarathi webpage. It is not clear why there are so many choices to be made to get into a particular website.Then, one has to click another option called ‘issue of a learning license to me’ and proceed to fill up a form. I read the entire form and began filling it. It requires details of address proof and other details such as voters ID card, ration card, passport, Aadhar card, electricity bills, LIC policy, etc. which involves typing number of the card, issuing authority and the date of issue of the documents one would like to attach.The procedure is not as simple as it looks. Candidates have complained that they take not less than an hour to just fill up the form. It is not user-friendly and there are no proper instructions at some levels.After choosing two documents__one as address proof and second as age proof and clicking on submit button__the form was still not submitted. There was some problem with the software. I quit for the day.The next day, after filling details on address proof, identity proof and age proof, when the cursor was taken to the "submit" option, the website just froze and I could not proceed to submit the form. This is a problem that several other candidates have also faced.The system should be less cumbersome and user friendly and easy to access. Several citizens are not able to understand how to fill the forms and submit them; others who manage to finally submit, find out that the few slots available are already booked. It’s really a frustrating experience for applicants.