HOWTO: International Drivers Permit from India

Wanted to share my experiences in getting an International Drivers Permit from an Indian RTO, well the procedure is really simple but the bureaucrats in the Govt office make is looks like an impossible task without a help of a middle man (an RTO agent/broker)

Mandatory documents required for the issue of an IDP from India.
1. A valid Indian Driving License
2. Passport with Visa stamped
3. Air Tickets (well an itinerary printout will do)
4. Medical certificate is required but I did not need it (I was not asked for one)
5. A fees of Rs 500/-
6. 3 Passport size photographs

Procedure:
My experiences with the Trivandrum (Kerala) RTO was not very pleasant, I had to spend 2 full days in the RTO office to get the work done. (Because I did not want to go through an Agent, Usually the Agent takes some amount of money extra and sometimes he demands for Rs1K extra, and says man I have to give this in the RTO office or else your work will take at least 5 working days. )First you have to go the helpdesk/PRO officer and ask him for a Form for IDP, after filling the form and pasting the photographs attach all the photocopy of the documents and give the form back to the PRO.
The PRO signs the Form and will ask you go and pay fees of Rs 500 at the cash counter.
Then submit the filled forms at the counter and he will give you a receipt.
The receipt will say which section did the file move to, you have to personally go to that section and ask the guy there that It is really important for you and please can you sign this for me.
The file then moves to the RTO desk.
Stand in a Q to see the RTO and get your documents verified (personally) He signs the document and then This file moves back the same guy on the previous section. This guy has to make your IDP, after that again this move to the RTO desk.
Again you have to stand in a Q to see the RTO to get it signed. (There is a good chance that the RTO will ignore you.. don’t lose heart, keep walking in front of his office and make sure that he sees you)
In my case the RTO got tired of my determination to get the IDP the same day, he called me in after making me wait for an hr and signed it for me :-)
Then you have to run behind the clerk who will take it to the Dispatch section.
That’s it.. collect it from the Dispatch and enjoy ...

ride/drive safe!
adios

Hampi.... The Lost Empire

To the Ruins of Vijayanagara Empire.

No rides for the next three months for me :-( A small weekend ride to Hampi, the ruins of the mighty Vijayanagara Empire.
From the busy schedule in office and my travel plans abroad (for work) I managed to squeeze out a weekend for a ride with my buddies to Hampi. A quiet pleasant ride to Hampi and next day exploring Hampi was exciting. According to plan I had to ride back the same day doing a night ride to Bangalore 380Kmts, Parvez and Amit too joined me to ride back to Bangalore, Kamlesh and Shashi stayed back another Day in Hampi. Night ride was really cool except for Parvez's small toss rendering his bike in a non ridable condition to Bangalore, Parvez rode pillion with me to Bangalore and we left his bike at Hiriur near Shashi's home.

Hampi_Jan26_2007

2007 First Ride

I was thinking of writing a trip log, but Kamlesh already did it so I am not repeating the same.. Silver-Bullets Bangalore chapter first ride with me, Shashi, Kamlesh and Vaas.



Lying between Shivanasamudra falls and Mekedatu falls is Bheemeshwari, A perfect picnic spot, but we were not interested in that, it was just the ride, breakfast, lunch and the ride back. The twisting roads were not properly banked resulting loosing rubber from my foot rests :)