New driving licences to come in e-card format

PUNE: It''s time to bid goodbye to computerised paper driving licences. Two months from now, permanent licence applicants, for all classes of vehicles, will get a licence in a ''smart card'' format, which will be fitted with a microchip.
Jeevan Bansod, deputy road transport officer, told TNN that the Pune road transport office (RTO) has been chosen for the pilot project.The project will be extended to other parts of the state later.
Though the ''smart card'' licence looks like a credit card, it will be more technologically-advanced.
It will be equipped with a microchip, which will enable the transport officials to record details of traffic offences on it.
In 1998, the state had replaced the earlier licences, which were in a booklet form, with the current computerised licences. However, there were complaints that they were not long-lasting because they are made with thin paper. Moreover, the security aspect will also be taken care under the new on-line system as the RTO will be able to follow the ''one man, one licence'' norm strictly.
The state government has entered into a 10-year contract with the Hyderabad-based United Telecom Limited (UTL), which will manufacture the licences. The licence will cost Rs 200 as compared to Rs 90 being charged currently. Of this cost, Rs 88 will be UTL''s share, while the rest will be pocketed by the state government. "Though the cost of the licence has been increased, it is well within the limits of the Motor Vehicles Act (MVA), which specifies that the cost should not cross Rs 200," Bansod added.
While the licences will be issued to new applicants, old licence holders will also be eligible for a replacement. The UTL staff will manage the front-end activities of issuing the licences like data entry and giving out prints.
The work of receiving cash from the applicants will be done by the RTO staff. The number of staff to be deployed will be decided by the RTO. Noting that this was a kind of "outsourcing," Bansod said it was being done to spare the government the cost and time of developing the necessary software.