The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Driving licences to get smart at all RTOs in State

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Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Driving licences to get smart at all RTOs in State

Special Correspondent

BANGALORE: Hereafter, “smart cards,” which resemble credit cards, will be issued to those who obtain driving licences. Similar cards will be given to people at the time of registration of their vehicles.

Minister for Transport R. Ashok told presspersons here on Monday that the cards would be issued soon at all 55 regional transport offices across the State. Existing licence holders would have to exchange their papers for the cards. The cost of driving licence and vehicle registration is Rs. 200 each.

About 65 lakh driving licence holders and vehicle owners would be given the cards in the next six months. The Transport Department had signed an agreement with the Delhi-based Rosmerta Technologies Private Limited for computerisation of RTOs and issue of cards, the Minister said. In case of death in a road accident, the card holder would be eligible for Rs. 1 lakh insurance, while the injured would get Rs. 50,000.

Each card would have the photograph and signature of the driving licence and RC holder, address, and blood group.

The embedded micro chip on each card could store electronic data and execute commands which could be read and updated, he said, all of which would help eliminate the use of bogus driving licences and fake registration certificates, role of middlemen and corruption.

Details regarding offences or violation of laws committed by vehicle drivers would be recorded on the cards. Reader equipment would be given to all law-enforcing officials of the department to enable them read the data entered in the cards, Mr. Ashok added.

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