Road safety campaign may affect RTO work

During the first fortnight of 2011, don’t be surprised if it takes longer than usual for getting your work done at the city’s Regional Transport Offices (RTOs).

Most of the officials at the hugely understaffed RTOs are likely to be busy implementing the state government’s fortnightly ‘Road Safety’ programme.

The home department had recently declared that the annual ‘Road Safety Week’ will be made more rigorous and a fortnightly campaign will be implemented under which counselling sessions, awareness building about road safety measures, introduction to safety rules, training of drivers’ trainers, pollution-under-control checks, among other things, will be organised.

However, the government seems to have overlooked one handicap: lack of manpower. City’s three RTOs are facing serious staff crunch. Many of them who spoke to DNA on the condition of anonymity, said, it will be difficult for them to look after both the responsibilities and as they were under pressure from the government to make this campaign successful, their routine duties may receive suffer.

An official from the Andheri RTO said that the sanctioned staff strength is 247 but 82 positions are still vacant. “How will we be able to handle both responsibilities?”

Another official from the Tardeo RTO said, “It will be difficult, but we will try to minimise any harm to our routine work.”

The situation at Wadala RTO is no better. Out of the sanctioned staff strength of 180, nearly 62 posts are vacant and, as a senior official admitted, it will be tough to implement the road safety programme in full spirit.

State transport commissioner Dilip Jadhav was unavailable for comment.