Nigdi RTO accomplishes 10-fold revenue collection

The Nigdi RTO was recently presented with a commendation certificate by the Transport Minister Gajanan Kirtikar for being second in the State as far as increase in revenue in the last two years was concerned. The revenue almost doubled from Rs 10.6 crore in 1995-96 to Rs 20.92 crore in 1997-98. The revenue collection this year is also expected to cross last year’s collections.

The Nigdi RTO was opened in 1984 which then had 17,930 registered vehicles. It then had a revenue collection of Rs 1.21 crore in the first year. The number of vehicles have increased to 1,78,158 until January this year. There has, however, been no increase in the staff strength over the years. On the contrary it has decreased from 43 in 1984 to 40 at present.

According to deputy regional transport officer D M Gunjkar if only ten per cent of the staff was increased the office would be able to cope up with the work ten times better with that much increase in revenue collection. The RTO is located at a godown allotted by the Pimpri-Chinchwad New Township Development Authority (PCNTDA) and plans are on the anvil to have an independent office building at sector number four at Moshi.

A plot admeasuring ten acres has been reserved by the PCNTDA but the final allotment will be completed only after the state government clears the required amount of Rs 1.8 crore. The PCNTDA conveyed its decision to reserve the plot in October last year and had asked the RTO to make the payment in two months. A separate building and additional land will help the RTO in making arrangements for parking, and test-ride tracks for two-wheelers and four-wheelers.

The RTO has opened a cell along the Mumbai-Pune Highway to check trucks and tourist vehicles near Vadgaon Maval. The unit was opened in February and efforts are on to keep it open round-the-clock, Gunjkar said. All trucks carrying excess load or tourist vehicles not having valid transport permits are detained by the unit. The highway police are assisting the RTO personnel in this work.

Gunjkar said although a section of tourists are put to inconvenience due to the checking, it was for their benefit and safety that the work was being carried out.