Visakhapatnam: Vehicle owners to get digital DLs, RCs

Visakhapatnam: Even as the motorists wait to receive smart cards of driving licences and vehicle registration certificates (RCs), the regional transport office officials make it clear that the old system has been halted and the digital version of them only will be issued.

Regional transport office officials informed vehicle owners to go paperless as the transport department now issues digital driving licences (DL) and vehicle registration certificates (RC). For the past few years, the issue of smart cards of DL and RC cards has been pending.

The transport department used to collect Rs 200 for smart cards plus Rs 25 for postal charges. Despite the collection of such charges, smart cards remain unissued to the owners due to various reasons. Thousands of smart cards are yet to be issued in Visakhapatnam alone.

The RTA department tried to give advanced technology of contactless proximity integrated circuit cards for the issue of licences and vehicle registration certificate cards for the motorists. Made of quality material, such cards are said to have a long shelf life. However, the proposal did not move forward.

Meanwhile, the state government has decided to stop issuing smart cards and issued orders to issue digital copies of DL and RC.

Speaking to The Hans India, regional transport officer R Ch Srinivasa Rao said, “Vehicle owners who had already paid for smart cards will receive them in a phased manner. But those who have applied for the smart cards recently will get them in the digital version.” Earlier, DigiLocker app introduced by the Central government to store documents such as Aadhaar cards, driving license, PAN card, ration card, etc., aided in producing them during any checking conducted by RTO and traffic police. Very soon, motorists in the state can store digital formats of DL and RC cards too.