NEW DELHI: Driving licences in the country may soon get a cosmetic and functional overhaul if the Centre’s draft proposal for changes to the document is accepted by the states.
Officials of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, who were privy to the developments, said the draft proposes that new driving licences will be made of polycarbonate cards with a high-security QR code instead of the laminated cards that are currently in use. One of the officials said the new licences would make proving authenticity easier for the commuters while also making apprehending offenders easier for the traffic police. Details of the commuter and the vehicle would be stored on a central database, which the police can access by scanning the QR code.
The decision to bring about the change was taken by making relevant changes to the Motor Vehicles Act, the officials added. “All information regarding the vehicle and the licence holder can be accessed by just scanning the QR code. The commuter is saved the trouble of carrying documents. Also, just with a click of a button, the police can check if any documents pertaining to the vehicle are missing,” said the official.
The states seem to be in agreement.“We are more or less in agreement with the changes proposed. The department is going to have a centralised system of printing the licences. This will make it more secure and modern. The new model of licences will be out very soon,” Delhi Transport Commissioner Varsha Joshi said.
Commuters also seemed relieved at being able to do away with documents. “Every day, I carry all the documents of my vehicle when I travel from Noida to Gurgaon for work. Apart from having to check whether they are in order, there is a constant fear of losing them,” software professional Rakshita Jain, 30, said. The new system would only work if the documents were regularly updated, she added. Officials, however, say that once commuters renew their pollution certificates and insurance for the vehicles, those details are updated in a database seamlessly.
Ball now in states’ court
The proposal has been sent to the states for their approval, but the ministry is confident that all the states would adopt it. “It only makes everyone’s job easier and also streamlines a lot of things,” an official said.