Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Jan 20: The non-availability of smart cards for vehicle registration certificates (RC) and driving licences is causing significant delays across most Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) in the state. This has led to inconvenience for vehicle owners, new driving licence holders, and those seeking licence renewals.

The root of the issue lies in the expiry of the contract with the outsourced company responsible for supplying these smart cards. Although temporary renewals of the contract were made for one or two months after the long-term agreement ended, that period has now lapsed, resulting in the current situation.

RTO officials and staff are also facing challenges as the lack of smart cards prevents timely delivery of printed documents.

According to Vishwanath Ajila, RTO officer of Puttur, applicants who pass the driving licence test can access their documents online after the upload of their photo and signature. These digital copies, available through DigiLocker, hold the same validity as printed cards.

Despite this provision, almost all RTO offices have been experiencing a shortage of smart cards for over a month. Those who applied for driving licences as far back as late October are still waiting for their printed copies.

The situation is particularly challenging for rural residents, many of whom are unfamiliar with DigiLocker and rely on printed cards. Consequently, they often approach RTO offices or agents for assistance.

In 2022, paper RCs were introduced as a temporary solution, but the fragility of these documents made them difficult to maintain. The introduction of smart cards was intended to resolve this issue, but the current scarcity has once again slowed down the process.