RTA makes Aadhaar must for licence

​Hyderabad: The Road Transport Authority will soon make Aadhaar card mandatory for all transactions like obtaining driving licence, registration of a vehicle, etc.

This step will curtail the issuance of multiple driving licences to a person. It will also help suspend licences and find fake ones. The biometric details of the Aadhaar card can help the traffic police in curbing such activities. According to top officials of the RTA, this has become necessary in the wake of advice from the security agencies.

The officials said Aadhaar will serve as a single document that would establish the applicant’s identity. The officials told The Hans India that the Motor Vehicle Act is more than three-decade-old and the rules need to be changed to meet the changing conditions. Making Aadhaar mandatory will help the department to gain better administrative control while maintaining transparency through the digital platform.

It will also help in checking the misuse of the licences by anti-social elements and terrorist elements. Sources said there have been instances in certain parts of the country where terrorists got a driving licence with the help of fake documents and the same was produced as a proof of identification. Aadhaar would put an end to such practices, they said.

When asked, joint transport commissioner J Pandurang Naik said the department in fact wanted to introduce the system last year itself but could not do so as it was not prepared technically.

Initially, the department will be little liberal and in case of those who do not have Aadhaar card, they would demand certain other documents to establish their identity. But such a facility would be for a limited period, he added.