FIRSTLY, let me tell you how I needlessly wasted three extra hours getting Ministry of Works and Transport (MOWT) required proof of address:
My driver’s permit was expiring later this month. I decided to renew at the supposedly “state of the art” building, with “first-class technology” (Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan’s words at the opening ceremony in 2017) located at Caroni.
I was well aware of the trouble booking online permit renewal appointments and the corrupt practice that developed of having to go to certain businesses to purchase appointments. In fact, I wrote about it this space for AZP News a while back – click this link to go to it https://azpnews.com/whats-going-on-with-the-appointment-system-at-mowt/
Since I couldn’t renew my permit unless it was within a month of expiry, I had to take”front”. I started tracking when online appointments were opening up for July since February. Available appointments opened up in late May and were going fast. I booked for July 15, 2022.
I received an email confirming my appointment. I had to print and walk with this confirmation, together with a filled-out and signed Form 4 and proof of address. I planned on using my electricity bill as proof of address. But I get an electronic bill by email, and the MOWT website said my e-bill had to be printed and bear “the official stamp from the issuing company”.
I spent an hour in traffic and two hours in a line at a T&TEC branch to get my e-bill stamped. Only to be “bouffed” by the customer service representative and told that my e-bill would be accepted by MOWT to renew my permit “as is”. She explained that I do not need to get it stamped and that T&TEC does not, in practice, stamp it with their official stamp. She even said T&TEC told MOWT to remove the requirement for an official stamp from their website, but they never did.
She printed a bill for me (yes, it looked exactly as my e-bill did) and dared me not to give it to them, but to give them the e-bill I brought and see what happens. I said thanks and that I would do just that.
The lady was absolutely right! The Caroni office accepted the e-bill without blinking twice! I fumed after wasting three hours of valuable time attending a T&TEC branch, that I could have spent doing my clients’ work!
In the next part of this true story, I’ll tell you how disappointingly long and frustrating my appointment was, so you can know what to expect too.
Disclaimer:The contents of this article are for general informational purposes only and/or contain the opinions and/or thoughts of the writer only. It does not provide legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader. For legal advice on your specific situation, please contact an Attorney-at-Law of your choosing directly. Liability for any loss or damage of any kind whatsoever allegedly incurred as a consequence of relying on content in this article is thus hereby excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law.
3 Hours to Get My Driver’s Licence
Part 1 of 2
FIRSTLY, let me tell you how I needlessly wasted three extra hours getting Ministry of Works and Transport (MOWT) required proof of address:
My driver’s permit was expiring later this month. I decided to renew at the supposedly “state of the art” building, with “first-class technology” (Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan’s words at the opening ceremony in 2017) located at Caroni.
I was well aware of the trouble booking online permit renewal appointments and the corrupt practice that developed of having to go to certain businesses to purchase appointments. In fact, I wrote about it this space for AZP News a while back – click this link to go to it https://azpnews.com/whats-going-on-with-the-appointment-system-at-mowt/
Since I couldn’t renew my permit unless it was within a month of expiry, I had to take”front”. I started tracking when online appointments were opening up for July since February. Available appointments opened up in late May and were going fast. I booked for July 15, 2022.
I received an email confirming my appointment. I had to print and walk with this confirmation, together with a filled-out and signed Form 4 and proof of address. I planned on using my electricity bill as proof of address. But I get an electronic bill by email, and the MOWT website said my e-bill had to be printed and bear “the official stamp from the issuing company”.
I spent an hour in traffic and two hours in a line at a T&TEC branch to get my e-bill stamped. Only to be “bouffed” by the customer service representative and told that my e-bill would be accepted by MOWT to renew my permit “as is”. She explained that I do not need to get it stamped and that T&TEC does not, in practice, stamp it with their official stamp. She even said T&TEC told MOWT to remove the requirement for an official stamp from their website, but they never did.
She printed a bill for me (yes, it looked exactly as my e-bill did) and dared me not to give it to them, but to give them the e-bill I brought and see what happens. I said thanks and that I would do just that.
The lady was absolutely right! The Caroni office accepted the e-bill without blinking twice! I fumed after wasting three hours of valuable time attending a T&TEC branch, that I could have spent doing my clients’ work!
In the next part of this true story, I’ll tell you how disappointingly long and frustrating my appointment was, so you can know what to expect too.
Copyright © 2022 Neela Ramsundar, LL.B (HONS), L.E.C is a Civil Litigation Attorney at Law & Certified Mediator.
Disclaimer: The contents of this article are for general informational purposes only and/or contain the opinions and/or thoughts of the writer only. It does not provide legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader. For legal advice on your specific situation, please contact an Attorney-at-Law of your choosing directly. Liability for any loss or damage of any kind whatsoever allegedly incurred as a consequence of relying on content in this article is thus hereby excluded to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Click here to read part two