Everyone on the planet has the right to travel and explore different places under proper laws. People can go from one place to another using their public transport or by driving their own vehicle. This causes the need for a governing body that issues the proper licenses and manages all drivers across the district, state, or country.
At the same time, this helps prevent unqualified people from driving and causing hazards like road accidents while out on the streets and highway. The governing body sets up tests and practical exams like driving tests to ensure the quality of active, decent drivers in the state or district. It also has to maintain fines and punishments for any violation of rules that are committed on the road.
RTA And RTA Full Form
The governing body that does all this and much more is known as the RTA. The RTA full form is Regional Transport Authority in India. RTA full form in countries such as the United States of America (USA) is Regional Transportation Authority. In other countries like UAE, RTA full form is roads and transport authority.
Despite that, in all countries, the core task that the RTA performs is essentially the same. RTA has to maintain information on all the drivers in the region they are supervising. They also ensure proper vehicular taxes are paid by the people, as mentioned under the laws of the country.
Apart from giving driving licenses, the RTA also hands out registrations for vehicle and their number plates. All these tasks are done through various offices set up knows as RTO (Regional Transport Office). Different types of offices having codes perform specific tasks and have certain roles related to transportation in the state and district.
Different Functions Of RTA (Regional Transport Authority)
RTA Full Form-Regional Transport Authority is involved with a wide variety of roles and tasks in the region. Some of the major ones are listed below:
- The transport department handles the transportation system of the state and provides an efficient, usable, and secure transport system to the public.
- The authority is responsible for giving out or issuing driving licenses to all the authorized people who pass the driving license tests.
- Through regulation of vehicles and the components, the transport authority is responsible and helps control vehicular emission and pollution in the region.
- The authority is responsible for providing vehicle registrations and related services in the state. These also include issuing various permits to different commercial and personal vehicles as well.
- The department also makes new policies or amend old ones and is responsible for every transport-related activity and issue in the state. These also include monitoring vehicles in traffic as well as enforcing rules and regulations.
The functionality of the RTA makes it essential, and the role it plays governs the traffic in the region and the safety and efficiency of the transport system.
Some RTAs- Nomenclature And Examples
In a large country such as India, a single department is not sufficient to handle every driver and vehicle in the country. With so many states and union territories in the country, each of them has its own transportation departments. These are identified by using certain codes to identify the states and union territories such as DL, GA, TN, etc. Consider AP RTA Full form- Andhra Pradesh Regional Transport Authority. Here AP is the code for the state of Andhra Pradesh. Similarly, TS RTA full form- Telangana RTA, is the transport department for the state of Telangana in India.
Some more examples include CG RTA Full-Form- Chhattisgarh Regional Transport Authority, GJ RTA Full Form- Gujarat Regional Transport Authority, MH RTA Full Form- Maharashtra Regional Transport Authority, PB RTA Full Form- Punjab Regional Transport Authority, and UP RTA Full Form- Uttar Pradesh Regional Transport Authority.
Furthermore, each of the states has its own regional and district offices of different types. These are also identified by the use of codes such as DyRTO, which stands for Deputy Regional Transport Office. So by studying these schemes and codes, we can identify what the specific transport office does and the functions it provides. To understand this consider the following examples-
- Example -1: Consider the following code- AP34 A 1234 TO AP34S 1234. Here AP RTA specifies the authority is for the state of Andhra Pradesh. 34 is one of the office codes for office type-RTO. Letters A to S are all used for passenger vehicles. So it is an example of an RTO office in Andhra Pradesh dealing with passenger vehicles.
- Example-2: TS12T 1234- TS RTA Full Form is Telangana Regional Transport Authority. So it is the office located in the state of Telangana. 12 is the code for office-type RTO. T stands for all commercial vehicles in the state. S is an example of an RTO office of Telangana for commercial vehicles.
Understanding these codes can be really helpful to get an idea of the services the office provides. These also give an insight into the nomenclature of various departments in the country of India.
Various RTA Services And The RTA Citizen Portal
To be able to access all the services and functionality that the transport department provides, you can visit the nearby office in your region. At the same time, there is also the option to avail of these services online via the citizen portals. Some of the e-services and utilities that you can obtain on the different citizen portals after logging in are listed below:
- Information on various types of motor vehicles and online payment for driving licenses
- Sample questions for permanent and learner driving license tests.
- Road safety guide and list of all the traffic symbols and their meaning
- View and track information related to licenses and other permits
- Make requests for vehicle registrations and track them.
- Cancel requests, renewal, and monitoring services of requests.
- Statistics about traffic and rules and regulations to follow
- Information about your vehicle’s fitness and pollution checking
- Information about all the employed authorities working in the department and their posts
- The department’s citizen charter highlighting their commitments
- Ability to pay challan online and track the history of all the violations
- Information about road tax for different types of vehicles and associated information.
- Links and useful information about many sources such as Traffic Police.
To be able to utilize these services and resources, all you need to do is go to the citizen portal of the transport authority. For example- go to the citizen portal of RTA Andhra Pradesh: Click Here.
How To Apply For Driving License Through The Citizen Portal
A driving license is a must-have to drive anywhere. Without it, you will face punishments such as a fine of Rs.5000 and can even face cancellation of licenses upon repeated offenses. These vary based on different laws implemented across different countries and states.
To apply for a license, you need to have some documents ready with you. These include age-proof documents, which can be a birth certificate, class 10 or class 12 mark sheets, etc. For address proof, you can submit a passport, voter ID card, Aadhar card, etc., along with passport-sized photographs.
Once you have all the documents ready, you have to figure out how to apply, which can be tricky at times. So we provide you step by step guide through which you can apply for a license from the comfort of your home.
Step 1: Visit the official website of the transport department. For example, to obtain a license in Delhi, visit https://transport.delhi.gov.in/
Step 2: Click on driving license-related services from the home page.
Step 3: The link takes you to an external page where you can choose to apply for a learner license or permanent license. To get a permanent one, you need to have a learner license already. So select according to your requirements.
Step 4: Download the application form from the page
Step 5: Fill in all the necessary details mentioned in the form
Step 6: Submit the form along with all the pre-ready documents at the nearest RTO. You can check for the nearest RTO by seeing the list of RTOs available on the portal.
Step 7: Take up the driving test on the mentioned time and day given to you.
Step 8: After you pass the tests, you will get your driving license delivered to your address, usually within two to three weeks.
It is usually recommended to drive with an L made with red tapes on your car before you obtain the permanent license to ensure others know you are new and are yet to obtain it for safety measures.
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How To Get Vehicle Registration Online
You cannot drive without a license on the road; in a similar fashion, people are not permitted to drive unregistered vehicles on the road. It is mandatory to register your vehicle with the transport department, which keeps a record of all these in its database.
A person can check for his vehicle details by using the portal. For a citizen in DL RTA Full Form- Delhi RTA, he can check his vehicle details by using the link https://transport.delhi.gov.in/ to visit the citizen portal and click on vehicle details from the menus.
To apply for registration, you need to have some documents like the sale certificate of the car, car insurance, and PAN card copy. Address proof, along with the temporary registration copy made by the car sales dealer, is also mandatory. Once you have these, you can follow the given steps to apply:
Step 1: Visit the transport department’s official website.
Step 2: Click on the registration-related services option on the home page from the main menu.
Step 3: The link may take you to an external page where you need to log in or register if you are not registered.
Step 4: After logging in, select the application form for vehicle registration
Step 5: Submit all the documents along with the form in the nearest RTO
If you are already registered with your vehicle and want any other permits or registration-related services, login and click on these options from the menu. A new vehicle needs to be registered within a small amount of time until which the temporary registration number is valid. Once it expires, it is not legal to drive the new vehicle without registration.
Challan And Other Services
Traffic violations such as jumping a red light and speeding are liable to fines or challans, as we call it in India. With the modern development in web services, it is now easy to pay your challan online. To pay your fine, all you need to do is visit the transport authority website. Click on the traffic police link that takes you to their website. There you have to log in and look for pending notices which will display all your recent pending violations. Once you click on them, then all you have to do is complete the payment procedure on the secured gateway.
There are many more services that the department citizen portal offers. To use them, all one needs to do is search for them using the search bar or locate them in the menus. Once you find them, click on the option and complete the task that follows, like logging in or filling in details relevant to the e-service. You can also view much information such as road tax for different vehicles, pollution details, info and services about taxis, e-rickshaws, etc., by simply clicking on the options.
Conclusion
RTA full form is Regional Transport Authority in India and in the field of transportation. It is a body run by the government of the country that provides all services related to transportation. Different departments can be identified by their codes set up by the government of India for all the states.
The citizen portal provides a means to effectively utilize all the services and requests which traditionally were fulfilled by manually going to their offices. Through the article, we hope we were able to give proper insight about all the services and guide you through some of the basic steps to use them as well.
FAQs
Does a person need to drive when he first applies for a learner license?
While applying for a learner license, a person needs to only give a written test and not actually drive.
What is the minimum age after which a person can apply for a learner’s license?
A person must be at least 16 years old to obtain a learner license for a light motorcycle and at least 18 years old for a light motor vehicle (car).
How long is the driving license valid in India?
A driving license issued for a commercial vehicle must be renewed after every 3 years and for a commercial vehicle is valid for 20 years. Also, after the age of 50 years, you need to renew the license even if the license has been issued for less than 20 years.
What is the time period till which a permit is valid?
Permits are usually valid for up to 5 years. After that, you need to renew them or issue a new one.
What is the time frame for which the temporary registration provided by the dealer is valid?
Usually, the temporary registrations are valid for one month. In this time frame, the person needs to get a permanent registration for the RTO.