Pune’s Vahan portal is facing fresh technical errors that have disrupted vehicle transfers and several other Regional Transport Office services, barely 15 to 20 days after the system resumed following a month-long outage, according to a report by Pudhari.
Applications for vehicle ownership transfers are reportedly not being submitted because fields relating to horsepower and wheelbase are appearing blank. The system is treating the empty fields as incomplete information, preventing applicants from completing the process. The disruption has also affected other transport-related services linked to the portal.
Complaints about the errors have increased over the past two to three days, RTO staff told Pudhari. The report said the portal is operated with transport information technology services and digital facilities provided to the RTO through the National Informatics Centre. Regular updates and modifications to these systems can slow the portal and interrupt transport services, according to the report.
The disruption is affecting more than ownership transfers. Applications and renewals related to auto-rickshaw permits, removal of hypothecation after loan repayment, and transfers of vehicles into a widow’s name have reportedly stalled. An office-bearer associated with work related to auto-rickshaw documentation told Pudhari that these services were among those affected.
The portal problems have also created difficulties for learner’s licence applicants. Some applicants have reportedly been unable to secure appointments for the driving test before their learner’s licences expire. This can force applicants to navigate additional delays in completing the licensing process.
Vehicle testing and passing procedures have faced separate difficulties in recent days, the report said. Agents told Pudhari that vehicle passing work had remained suspended for several days. They also reported irregularities in tests conducted on vehicles arriving for inspection under a new automated testing system. Some vehicle owners have consequently preferred to have their vehicles passed in other cities, according to a senior agent quoted in the report.
Transport operators have raised the issue with officials. Tempo operators from Market Yard recently met authorities to draw attention to the difficulties linked to vehicle passing, the report said.
The Vahan platform is a critical digital interface for vehicle registration, ownership changes, permits and licensing-related procedures. When mandatory fields fail to load or applications cannot be submitted, applicants, vehicle owners, commercial operators and documentation agents are unable to complete services even when their physical paperwork is ready.
Pudhari reported that Regional Transport Officer Archana Gaikwad was contacted for a response but could not be reached. The report did not include a timeline from the RTO or NIC for resolving the latest portal errors. Until the affected fields and linked services are restored, applicants remain dependent on the department’s technical and administrative response.
