Pune: The RTO issued a total of 5,623 international driving permits (IDPs) IDPs against 5,184 in 2024, confirming the rise in international travel as claimed by travel companies and indicating that many travellers, instead of following a set itinerary, drove rented cars to their favourite spots while holidaying abroad.“The numbers speak for themselves, and the increase shows that a large number of travellers tend to use rented vehicles (cars and 2-wheelers) while travelling abroad. Among them, there can be students too who go to study in foreign universities. But we feel that the main crowd is tourists,” a senior RTO official told TOI.In 2023, the Pune RTO issued a total of 4,914 IDPs, compared to 4,090 in 2022. An IDP is issued by an RTO for one year and cannot be renewed. It cannot be used in the local jurisdiction of the RTO. To apply for an IDP, one must have a valid driving licence, an Indian passport, and a valid visa for the country they are travelling to. Santosh Gupta, the owner of Shree Vinayak Holidays, said that last year, travel abroad was much better. “We did a lot of international bookings to different countries in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. There are definitely many travellers who asked us how to get an IDP and requested that we guide them,” he said.Nilesh Bhansali, the owner of Devam Tours and Travels and president of the Travel Agents Association of Pune (TAAP), agreed. “There has been a trend of getting a rent-a-car or even a two-wheeler, and travelling along the countryside of international destinations. While a majority tend to stick to the itineraries, some want to explore more,” he said.Tuhin Joshi, who made two trips to Southeast Asia this year, said IDPs were helpful. “It gave me an opportunity to move around some untapped spots. However, one needs to do proper research before driving a car in a foreign country,” the Koregaon Park resident and business professional said. Anand Sahay, an IT professional and Kharadi resident, added that the RTO needed to advertise it. “I take trips to foreign countries but am not acquainted with the process of getting an IDP. I went to the RTO office many times for work but did not see any information or notice about it. I think the RTO needs to advertise it,” he told TOI.Meanwhile, the issuance of driving licences at the Pune RTO also spiked up. In 2025, a total of 1,16,445 licences were issued by the RTO against 92,675 in 2024 — an increase of more than 25%.
