Interminable wait for licences in city irks applicants

They say it has been several months since they have applied for one

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Hundreds of fresh Driving Licence applicants, as also those who have applied for renewal of their old licence, are annoyed at the undue delay in the issuance of smart cards by the Transport Department. Motorists are making no secret of their displeasure on social media.

A delay of a few days to a couple of weeks in the dispatch of the DL smart cards is understandable. But it has been nearly eight months since we have been waiting for the receipt of our driving licences, say applicants.

On an average, around 600 DL cards are issued by the Transport Department in Visakhapatnam district, with a major chunk of the applicants hailing from the city.

A doctor from Sector-V, MVP Colony, who applied for the renewal of his driving licence (DL) several months ago, is yet to get his smart card. There are hundreds of applicants for fresh DLs and renewal, who are waiting to receive their cards.

Dr. G. Hanumantha Rao had applied online for renewal of his licence about six months ago, but is yet to get it delivered. “The online status shows that my card has been sent for printing but I have no clue as to when it would be delivered,” he told The Hindu .

The Regional Transport Authority (RTA), Visakhapatnam, issues around 300 new as well as renewed cards on average every day. This apart, the Transport Offices at Gajuwaka and Anakapalle together issue around 300 cards a day. Deputy Transport Commissioner G.C. Raja Ratnam said PDFs can be dowloaded from the RTA website.

“The tender process for selection of a new contractor for supply of the smart cards is yet to be completed. The file is pending with the government. Motorists can download the PDF of their driving licence from the website and show it to traffic police on duty during vehicle checking,” he said.

“We are receiving complaints from motorists on the undue delays in the dispatch of cards. We are asking them to carry printouts of the DL after downloading it from the website. Those who have any problem can approach the help desk at the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) Office, and get the printouts countersigned by our officials to avoid any problems with the traffic police,” said RTO R. Ch. Srinivasa Rao.