Mumbai: The transport department moved to plug critical staffing gaps, seeking govt approval to recruit 461 assistant inspectors (AIs)—the RTO officials in the field in khaki — to strengthen enforcement and improve public-facing services such as vehicle registration, driving licence issuance, and vehicle fitness certification.The additional AIs are expected to support routine checks, documentation scrutiny, and on-road enforcement, while also enabling a sharper focus on road safety initiatives, besides manning 263 laser-based speed guns.
The recruitment push followed a recent promotion exercise in which 328 personnel were elevated to the post of Inspector. With this, staffing in the inspector cadre improved significantly. Against a sanctioned strength of 910 inspectors, 854 posts are currently filled. Officials noted that the current position marks a major turnaround from previous years, when vacancies in the inspector cadre were estimated to be around 30%, affecting the consistency of enforcement drives and the ability to monitor compliance across regions.“With more inspectors available, enforcement can be more regular and supervision more effective,” said a senior official from the transport commissioner’s office, adding that improved staffing will help ensure better follow-up on violations and more uniform implementation of rules.However, vacancies persist in the Assistant Regional Transport Officer (Assistant RTO) cadre, which plays a key role in the administration and oversight of transport services. Of 183 sanctioned posts, around 140-plus are filled, leaving about 40 posts vacant. The department initiated recruitment measures: advertisements were issued for 21 posts, and 51 candidates are currently undergoing training, officials said.The department plans to use the additional manpower to scale up road safety operations, including wider deployment of interceptor and radar vehicles and formation of dedicated teams for speed monitoring and enforcement. Officials said these measures are intended to improve deterrence against speeding and other high-risk violations.The administration said timely approvals and faster recruitment will be crucial to sustaining service delivery and strengthening road safety outcomes, particularly as traffic volumes rise and enforcement demands increase across urban and highway corridors.
