In an exclusive interview with Newsline here today, Patiala District Transport Officer (DTO) Avtar Chand Sharma said that learner driving licences and also licences for light transport vehicles and heavy transport vehicles would be issued on the spot at the special camp being organised at Samana.

Sharma said that a government doctor would be present at the camp for conducting the medical examination of prospective licence seekers. The other staff required for the purpose including a motor vehicle inspector and an assistant district transport officer would also be present. Sharma said that he had discussed this matter with the state transport secretary B. S. Gupta during the road safety week function at Ghagga, in Patiala district, yesterday and he had given the go ahead for this plan.

It was proposed to make this practice of holding special camps for issuing driving licences, a regular feature. Initially such camps would be organised at all the sub-divisional headquarters of the district. This practice, Sharma felt, would help weed out the agents who had been charging huge sums from the people for getting driving licences issued to them.

He said transporters and commuters would also be invited to such camps and problems of both the sides would be listened to and an attempt made to redress their grievances. This would also help bring in more transparency in the working of the department, he said.

In another significant decision, the district transport authorities here have decided to cut down delays in the disposal of files. The DTO said that all papers, including applications for driving licences, registration of new vehicles etc., would be cleared within three days. However, in case a staff member was on leave or in case of some other exigency, this deadline could be extended to a maximum of seven days. Sharma disclosed that the transport department in the district had stepped up vigil against the plying of unauthorised buses and other vehicles. Heavy penalties were being imposed in case of erring transporters. The DTO said that he had taken up the matter of computerisation of work in his office with the state transport commissioner. Issuing of laminated driving licences was very important, as this could to an extent, rule out chances of tampering with the driving licences, Sharma said.

He said that a special checking drive of vehicles had been initiated in the district. As part of this drive, pollution level of vehicles was also being checked, while the eyesight of truck drivers was also being tested.