CHENNAI: In a significant move, the Tamil Nadu transport department has decided to phase out the practice of issuing chip-embedded cards for vehicle registration certificate (RC) and driving licence. Instead, vehicle owners and licence holders will be allowed to download digitally signed versions of the documents. The initiative will take effect on September 15, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced in the Assembly on Wednesday while making a statement under Rule 110.
The move is expected to improve transparency, eliminate delays in distributing the documents to vehicle users and curb corruption at Regional Transport Offices (RTOs). Touts, vehicle dealers and driving schools often retain the original RC and driving licence of applicants, allegedly until payments are made.
The digital documents will carry QR codes and digital signatures, allowing government authorities, traffic police and other enforcement agencies to verify their authenticity using handheld devices.
Transport officials said vehicle users can also get the downloaded documents converted into physical cards at their own expense, adding that they will continue to be treated as valid documents. Currently, applicants are charged Rs 250 for chip-embedded RCs and licences.
Through the move, buyers of new vehicles would be able to download the digital RC on the same day the registration process is completed. Similarly, applicants would be able to download their driving licence on the day they complete the driving test. The facility will also be available for downloading digital copies if the original documents are lost, the CM said.
The state currently prints around 30 lakh chip-embedded smart cards every year. This includes around 20 lakh RCs for newly registered and resold vehicles, and around 9 lakh new driving licences.
A transport official said the option of obtaining a physical smart card would remain available for some time. “We will raise greater awareness among applicants that the digitally downloaded documents are valid. After some time, the issuance of physical cards will be stopped,” the official said.
Mentioning chip-embedded smart cards having been issued in TN since 2015, the official said, “Currently, glitches in generating RC smart cards cause delays and increase administrative burden, while making applicants wait longer.”