THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major push to eliminate the persistent influence of unauthorised intermediaries, the motor vehicles department (MVD) will render all 60 of its online services faceless and Aadhaar OTP-authenticated, starting September 21.
Transport Commissioner C Nagaraju announced that the measure aims to streamline public delivery under the Vahan and Sarathi portals while protecting applicants from exploitation.
Of the 60 services, only 21 are delivered via faceless online systems. Lack of robust digital authentication in the rest has allowed unscrupulous commission agents to exploit applicants. Officials said intermediaries often upload incomplete documents to stall applications, and demand money under the pretext of expediting the process.
The MVD has requested the National Informatics Centre and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to convert all remaining services into faceless, Aadhaar-linked systems, a project currently undergoing final software testing.
Prints of online applications to be rejected
Under the upgraded system, applications will be processed strictly through Aadhaar-linked mobile OTP verification and cleared on a first-come, first-serve basis. Physical visits to RTO offices will be rendered obsolete for most services, barring vehicle inspections, legal heir identity verifications, or personal hearings following show-cause notices.
To facilitate the shift, slot bookings for vehicle inspections will be managed online via the Nammude Keralam portal, which will also host slot bookings and video-call-based virtual hearings using its Vmeet platform. Citizens requiring assistance with documentation are advised to approach authorised Akshaya Kendras, Common Service Centres (CSCs), or official RTO counters rather than unauthorised middlemen. Physical printouts of online applications will no longer be accepted at offices.
The department clarified that in cases where Aadhaar authentication fails, applicants will be required to visit the RTO once for manual verification. The slot bookings for driving tests, learner’s tests, heavy vehicle badges, and conductor licences must be processed strictly through Sarathi, while vehicle fitness test slots must be scheduled via Vahan. The MVD is also expanding its Automated Vehicle Testing Stations (ATS) across all districts, with three facilities already functional in Kollam and Alappuzha.