RTO work affected in Gujarat due to strike by technical officers over pending demands

Ahmedabad: Work at Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) across Gujarat has been disrupted as technical officers, including the inspectors and sub-inspectors of RTO offices, have gone on strike, called by the Motor Vehicles Department’s Technical Officers Association, demanding the resolution of long-pending issues, including transfers and promotions.

As part of the agitation, RTO employees are observing a ‘No Log In Day’ today, bringing major RTO operations to a standstill. Since employees are not logging into their offices, applicants visiting RTO centres are facing inconvenience, while the department is attempting to provide minimal services with limited staff. Frustrated applicants who had prior appointments at RTO offices in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, and Rajkot expressed their anger as their work remained pending.

Hundreds of applicants scheduled for driving licence tests at various RTOs across the state had to return as tests were cancelled due to the strike. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, around 700 technical officers across the state are expected to go on mass casual leave, further affecting operations.

A representative of the protesters stated that the prolonged delay in addressing their demands has led to growing dissatisfaction among employees.

Technical officers of the Gujarat Motor Vehicle Department have been submitting written and verbal representations to the Secretary and the State Transport Commissioner regarding various demands for a long time. They have sought resolutions for issues such as probation, promotion, departmental investigations into anonymous complaints, irregular transfers, and seven consecutive days of night duty. Despite a year passing since a settlement was reached in a meeting with the Secretary on April 25, 2024, most of their concerns remain unaddressed. As a result, various protest programs have been organized since January 2025.

As part of this protest employees wore black armbands while performing their duties on February 4, launched a social media campaign on February 5, and on February 6, protested by chanting slogans and ringing bells. On February 7, they carried out a ‘Work to Rule’ campaign, strictly adhering to their job chart during duty hours. DeshGujarat