4 months ago
57
:
People have been experiencing delays in obtaining their driving licences (DL) and registration certificates (RC) from the Transport Department owing to issues in the supply of smart cards with chips from the vendor contracted for the same.
Partha Jain, a resident of Rajajainagar, shared his experience, stating that he underwent the driving test a month ago but has not yet received his DL. According to him, the Yeshwanthpur RTO told him that in another week he will receive the DL, attributing the delay to issues with the supply of smart cards.
Prajwal Kumar, a resident of Bilekahalli on Bannerghatta Road, has encountered a similar problem at the Electronics City RTO while applying for the RC for his new car.
“Despite the delivery of the new car, I have been waiting for 15 days without receiving the RC. The dealer has cited smart card issues as the reason for the delay, and it will take a few more days to be resolved,” he added.
Transport Department officials said that the primary cause for the vendor’s failure to supply RC and DL smart cards is the unavailability of chips essential for these cards.
An official said, “The vendor is required to provide the smart cards, but is facing challenges in obtaining the necessary chips.”
In Karnataka, an approximate average of 5,000 people register vehicles and 4,000 people undergo driving tests daily. The Transport Department aims to issue smart cards for these individuals within a 10-day period.
“It is true that there is an issue in issuing smart cards owing to the unavailability of chips. We are already in the process of resolving this issue and aim to issue the smart cards within two days to individuals who have applied for DLs and RCs,” said Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy.
The transition to the smart-card format for DLs and RCs commenced in 2009. Meanwhile, the Transport Department is planning to implement new age smart cards that incorporate not only chips but also QR codes for DLs and RCs starting from the upcoming year.
According to officials, the proposed new cards will comply with the specifications outlined by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), fostering consistency in issuance across the country.
“The new cards will feature additional printed information compared to current smart cards. The front of the DL will exhibit the cardholder’s name, validity, date of birth, blood group, address, and photo, with the chip embedded. On the back, details such as vehicle type and emergency contact numbers will be printed alongside the QR code. The inclusion of the QR code feature will enable enforcement authorities to authenticate the details of the cardholder,” an official explained.
