Smart-card DLs from June 25

Smart-card DLs from June 25

Plastic driving licences, registration booklets will become history soon

TIMES NEWS NETWORK


Bangalore: Plastic card driving licence (DL) and booklets of vehicle registration certificates (RC) will soon be a thing of the past. From June 25, both will be replaced by smart cards.
In order to have an effective security system, the transport department mooted the idea of introducing smart cards in place of plastic cards and booklets.
“Starting June 25, all drivers applying for new DLs and RCs in 55 RTOs of the state will be issued a smart card, embedded with microprocessor chip, with a 4 KB memory. This can be availed within a day of application, by paying Rs 200. The scheme will be launched by CM B S Yeddyurappa”, transport minister R Ashoka told reporters here on Wednesday. The smart cards will be connected to all RTOs in the state.
Explaining the advantages of smart cards, Ashok said they will be in the same dimension as a credit card and benefit both the public as well as law-enforcing agencies.
The smart cards will provide relevant information about the vehicle at once, including date of purchase, registration, age and address of the licence holder, previous owners, and record of traffic offences. “It will help law-enforcement agencies track the case history of motorists and vehicles from any part of the country,” he said.
The traffic police and RTO officials will be provided with hand-held machines, which will help them read smart cards while carrying out inspection.
Those who have committed over three offences will have to forfeit their licence. The transport department has also taken steps to include fingerprint, to prevent the licence holder from taking it to any other state, once his licence is cancelled.