Are the new RTOs doing more harm than good?

Are the new RTOs doing more harm than good?
Deccan Herald

Transferring certain areas from the jurisdiction of RTO (South-Jayanagar) office to the newly set up Bannerghatta and Rajarajeshwarinagar RTO offices has come in for flak. Instead of benefitting the citizens, the transfer of certain areas to the new offices will cause inconvenience, according to Transport Department officials.

KR Puram, Rajarajeshwarinagar and Bannerghatta RTO offices are among the five new RTO offices, which the Government has set up in addition to the existing five RTO offices in Bangalore. Certain areas, which were earlier under Jayanagar RTO office, have now been transferred to Bannerghatta RTO, causing inconvenience to citizens.

Long distances

For instance, Padmanabhanagar was only 3-km from the Jayanagar RTO. But following the transfer of Padmanabhanagar to Bannerghatta RTO, citizens of the area will now have to travel a distance of 15 km to reach the Bannerghatta RTO office. Residents of Mico Layout and BTM Layout also will have to cover a long distance to reach the Bannerghatta RTO office. Residents of HSR Layout too face the same plight. HSR Layout, which was earlier part of RTO (Central-Koramangala), has now been transferred to Bannerghatta RTO office. The Koramangala RTO office was just 2.5 km for residents of HSR Layout. Now the residents have to cover a distance of 7 km to reach the new Bannerghatta RTO office on Hosur Road. “We do not know on what basis the Government issued a notification, transferring certain places to the new RTOs. We are getting complaints from citizens,” a transport department official said. “The Government should re-examine the issue,” he added.

Reasons for shifting

Certain areas coming under the jurisdiction of the existing RTO offices have been transferred to new RTO offices for administrative reasons and in view of inadequate parking facilities, a senior Transport department official has said.

“Most of the existing RTO offices have inadequate facilities for parking. This has made it inevitable to shift certain areas from the jurisdiction of the existing RTO offices to new RTO offices,” Joint Commissioner of Transport (Administration) Mohammed Sulaiman told Deccan Herald. The number of vehicles registered in the City is on the rise and new RTO offices are being set up to streamline the functioning of the RTO offices, he said.

Places which have been transferred to the Bannerghatta RTO office: Anjanapura Layout, Arakere, Agara, Attibele, Anekal Taluk, RBI colony, Bannerghatta Road, BTM Layout, Bellandur, Bommanahalli, Begur, Chikkalasandra, Chandapura, Electronics City, Harohalli, Hosur-Sarjapur Road,Outer Ring Road, HSRB Layout, Huskur, Jigani, Kanakapura Road, Kumaraswamy Layout, Konanakunte, Kothanur Dinne, Padmanabhanagar, Puttenahalli, Mico Layout, Meenakshi Temple road and extension, Mangammanapalya, Somanahalli, Sarjapur, Roopena Agrahara, Thalagattapura and Yelachanhalli.

Places coming under jurisdiction of Rajarajeshwarinagar RTO office: Annapurneshwarinagar, Arehalli, Avalahalli, Andhrahalli, Anjeyanaswami Layout, R V College, BEML layout, Bidari, Byatarayanapura, Channasandra Layout, Chandra Layout, Dodda Allada Mara, Girinagar, Haleguddadahalli, Hoskerehalli, Income Tax Layout, Jnanabharati, Janapriyanagar, Kodipura, Kamakshipalya, Kengeri, Kengeri Satellite town, Kumbalgode, Mylasandra, Moodalapalya, Mallarahalli, Machohalli, Magadi, Magadi Taluk, Nagarbhavi 1 to 4 phase and BDA complex, NGEF Layout, NGO Layout, Nayandahalli, Nagendra Block,Poornaprajna Society, PES college, Poornaprajna Nagar, Pappareddy Palya, Pattanagere, Rajarajeshwarinagar, Revenue Layout, Srinagar, Srinivasapura, Srigandha Kaval, Sunkadakatte, Central Bank layout, T G Halli, Tavarekere, Timber Yard Layout, Ullal and Vishwaneedam.