BENGALURU: Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) across the state are facing a crisis in issuing smart card driving licences (DLs) and vehicle registration certificates (RCs). In some RTOs, the pendency has increased to around 15,000 cards. This has left applicants in the lurch, with many of them clearing their driving tests way back in November.
Sources said, “Karnataka is facing, perhaps, the worst crisis in dispatching DL and RC smart cards. Applicants have been waiting for DL and RC cards for more than 50 days. RTOs across the state have to issue 7 lakh cards and some estimate, the number could be around 8 lakh. Driving licence seekers complain that officials at RTOs tell them to wait as there is a problem in getting smart cards from the head office.’’
Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, who acknowledged that there is a problem in dispatching DL and RC smart cards, said, “Smart cards were being supplied by ‘Rose Mart’, a service provider, and the agreement with it ended in December last. We have invited fresh tenders for supply of smart cards. The department is scrutinising the tenders. It is an administrative process and procedures have to be followed. It will take some time. We are trying to expedite the process.’’
On when the issue of pendency will be sorted out, he said, “We issue about 20,000 cards daily and we will sort it out in about 10 days from now.’’
‘We will try to clear the backlog ASAP’
Experts, however, said that it may take more than two months for the department to clear the pending smart cards. They alleged that as of now, smart cards are not being issued by RTOs across the state. Bengaluru city alone has 11 RTOs at Yeshwantpur, Rajajinagar, Koramangala, Gnanabharati, Indiranagar, Yelahanka, KR Puram, Nelamangala, Electronics City, Devanahalli and Jayanagar, where pendency could be higher than those in other parts of the state. The maximum number of DL smart cards are issued in Bengaluru.
Additional Commissioner (Transport) in-charge of smart cards J Gyanendra Kumar said, “There was a petition in court which resulted in delays. We will try to clear the backlog as soon as possible.’’
Retired RTO Syed Shafi Ahmed said, “RTOs should have acted long ago. There should be some proper planning. In this situation, only officials in RTOs are blamed, which could have been avoided. With traffic police personnel on a drive against offenders, riders/drivers simply can’t tell them their licence is pending or is on the way. Who will listen to them?’’
Meanwhile, Reddy said, “We will consider issuing temporary paper-based DL/RCs till the crisis is sorted out.”