the goan I network
VASCO
Passing and securing a driving licence can be a stressful exercise, but it pales in comparison to the harrowing experience people encounter each day at the congested RTO office in Vasco.
The lone RTO office catering to entire Mormugao taluka is located in a small congested premises on the second floor of a building in the heart of Vasco city.
The RTO not only caters to residents from across the taluka, but also several defence personnel stationed in and around Vasco.
For a long time, people have been bitterly complaining about inconvenience and congestion in the office. Several senior citizens face hardship as they are forced to walk up two floors and then wait in queues for their work.
Many women have complained the access to the office is so narrow that people cannot get in without brushing against each other and it becomes very uncomfortable for them. This happens because the office is filled with various cubicles for different sections.
The PWD has been reportedly assuring people that the office would be shifted to a new 300 square meters premises which is ready at Baina, but till date this has not happened. To add to the congestion in the office is the insufficient parking space below the building.
A senior citizen complained it was very inconvenient to walk up the stairs and stand in a queue which leads up to the steps. “Practically, there is no space in the building and it is full of old files. There is a mad rush all the time. Sometimes, people have to wait in queues on the steps and this causes inconvenience to other users of the building.”
A local said women and senior citizens who come from far and wide have to go through discomfort as there is no sitting arrangement for them.
Suresh Barve, convenor of NGO Goencho Rakhondar, said the premises were like a flat with hundreds of occupants at all times. “This office is based in a flat. There are various sections and practically no facilities. The hot summer makes it even worse. When the new premises are ready, why is the RTO not shifting there?” questioned Barve.
