Can't Register All Outside Vehicles In Kashmir, Says RTO Qazi Irfan

By Parvez ud din

Srinagar: Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Kashmir, Qazi Irfan, on Saturday said that there were about 9.6 lakh vehicles currently registered in the valley. Srinagar district alone accounts for 3.5 lakh and tops the list, followed by Anantnag and Baramulla in third and fourth places, respectively.

Irfan said that the number of vehicles also shows an increase of 10 per cent on an annual basis, increasing the workload for the department. “Every year, the vehicles, including two-wheelers and four-wheelers, see a 10 per cent increase in Kashmir. However, not every vehicle brought from outside can be registered in Kashmir,” he told ETV Bharat in an exclusive interview.

The 9.6 lakh vehicles registered in Kashmir province include both new and old vehicles that are being purchased from other states, Irfan said.

He further said that keeping in mind the pollution, the department registers only BS4 and SB6 serial vehicles in the region. “After registration, road tax is also collected from them, which is 9 per cent on old vehicles and 12 per cent on new vehicles,” Irfan said.

The RTO claimed that the capacity of the roads was lacking, even though new highways and roads are being built. "But considering the increasing traffic pressure, there is scope for further improvement in the infrastructure,” Irfan said.

According to him, the department also sees a sharp increase in the number of applications for driving licences, which prompted them to start several initiatives. “We now deliver hard copies of driving licences at home after the test, which reaches the applicants within 10 days. Currently, nearly 3000 licences are being dispatched by post daily,” Irfan said.

The RTO claimed that after a recent tragic accident at the Srinagar bypass, the demand for driving licences has increased significantly in Kashmir. “Everyone now wants to get a driving licence. In this regard, more applications are being received in Srinagar for licences,” he said.

Earlier, the department would conduct driving tests for three or four days only, but considering the recent demand, now it conducts the tests for licences throughout the week. “At least 200 applicants are being tested every day, and the pass rate is 60 per cent,” he said.

Irfan admitted that there were some problems in the department regarding license printing, due to which the applicants were not able to get the hard copy (PVC card) of the driving license for a long time, but now this issue has been resolved.

“Nearly 80,000 licences were pending in Jammu and Kashmir. Out of which about 90 per cent of the licences have been printed, and 3000 licences are being delivered to the people through the post every day. It may take another month to finish the pendings,” the RTO said and assured to make it a regular affair.

“Any applicant who takes the driving test will be able to get the hard copy of the licence within just 10 days,” he said.

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