Automobiles play a vital part in our lives. Almost every citizen of the country relies on their automobiles for transportation. While the manufacturer does play a crucial part when purchasing an automobile, the organization that plays an equally important role in a vehicle’s life as well as the car insurance is the RTO.
The Regional Transport Office (RTO) is a Government organization that handles maintaining a database related to the vehicle and its owners. The RTO also issues the different types of driving licenses and plans the road tax collection. They function under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. These institutions are spread across the country in different states and cities. If you’re planning to purchase a car, then you must understand how the RTO plays a vital role in the entire process.
Before Buying the Car
Every car owner or individual who drives a car in the country must own a valid driving license when driving the car on Indian roads. There are multiple types of driving licenses available based on the driving purpose. If you’re a beginner and don’t have any prior experience with driving, the RTO will issue a learner’s license before conducting a test to issue a permanent driving license.
To procure the driving license, you will need to apply at your nearest RTO. With the growth in the technology sector over the past few decades, almost all RTO processes have been digitized. You can download the forms required from the RTO website and track your application status online as well.
When Buying the Car
When you are buying the car, you will need to register it at an RTO. After you’ve done so, the RTO will allot your car a registration number. The registration number will then need to be displayed on your car’s number plate. The formalities related to the vehicle’s excise duty will also need to be conducted at the RTO. Generally, the showroom you have chosen for buying the car will coordinate with the RTO for the necessary documentation.
After you have provided all the essential information and finished all the relevant formalities, the RTO issues a Vehicle Registration Certificate. In the past, this certificate was provided as a bunch of papers or a small diary. Nowadays, most of the RTOs give the certificate as a Smart Card.
After Buying the Car
If you have misplaced any important RTO-related documents, you will need to reach out to your nearest RTO for duplicate documents. It would be better if you knew that driving licenses also come with an expiry date. You will need to renew your driving license when it expires by visiting the nearest RTO.
Just like the driving license is a binding document that you must have for driving a car in India, buying a four-wheeler insurance policy in India is mandatory as well.
Your car insurance depends on several factors like your car’s model, make, claim history, registration year, etc. If you are buying the insurance, it will help if you bought the insurance for your vehicle online. You can easily compare different plans and use the car insurance calculator for selecting the best possible plan.
If you have to move between states in the country for a long time, you will need to get a No Objection Certificate from your original RTO for your car. Apart from this, the offences registered to your vehicle will be recorded in the RTO’s database. Hence, it is essential to cross-check these details before the car can be deregistered from one RTO and registered under a different RTO.
Transparency and Accountability
To promote transparency and ensure accountability, RTOs have moved from the traditionally used paper-based system to a digital process. RTOs under the major Indian cities have upgraded their functionality because of the digitization initiatives. They have conducted this move to stop corruption and improve the processes under the RTO user-friendly. The RTOs in tier-2 cities are also taking steps towards improving their functioning.
RTO Vehicle Information Mobile App
The National Informatics Center has developed a helpful app for all RTO-related information and issues. It is called mParivahan. This app works on both iOS and Android devices and will help individuals find information related to RTOs and the services they offer. This app will also help you learn about the nearest Pollution Checking Center. If you’re a beginner, you can use the app to initiate a practice driving license test. It will help you feel comfortable before attending the real test. If you’re purchasing a second-hand vehicle, you can make use of the app to check the vehicle’s details by using its registration number.
From the moment you plan to purchase a car till the time it is your property, the RTO will have a role to play during each of the stages. The RTO’s updated and digitized website and application have improved how customers carry out their car-related processes.
