Chandigarh: Road safety expert flags backlog of RCs, DLs in Punjab

Highlighting the issue at a press conference in Chandigarh on Friday, National Road Safety Council member Kamal Soi said the private company, Smart Chip Private Limited, which was printing the smart cards of RCs and DLs left the project in November 2024, following issues related to the cost of printing the RCs and DLs

Scores of motorists in Punjab are a harried lot for the last three months due to delays in the issuance of smart cards of driving licence (DL) and registration certificate (RC) at regional transport authority (RTA) offices across the state.

National Road Safety Council member Kamal Soi interacting with the media at Chandigarh Press Club on Friday. (Ravi Kumar/HT)

Highlighting the issue at a press conference in Chandigarh on Friday, National Road Safety Council member Kamal Soi said the private company, Smart Chip Private Limited, which was printing the smart cards of RCs and DLs left the project in November 2024, following issues related to the cost of printing the RCs and DLs.

“There is hue and cry, and outrage among the general public in view of complete inaction on the part of state government as the application for issuance of DLs and RCs are pending,” Soi added.

Addressing the media, Soi said the earlier vendor exited the project after obtaining permission from the high court as the earlier rates quoted in 2019 had become inviable by then. To ensure the continuity of the DLs and RCs in the state, the transport department sought written consent from L-2 and L-3 vendors, who had participated in a tender in 2019 to print smart cards till September 29, 2025, the remaining period of the contract of the exiting vendor on same terms.

“While the L-3 bidder declined the offer, the L-2 bidder namely M-Tech Innovations Limited gave its consent to provide its services for the remaining period or till such time the transport department selects a new vendor,” he added.

The transport department also submitted its affidavit in the high court in November 2024, stating that it will hand over the project from the earlier vendor to the new one within a month. However, nothing has been done to date. Despite repeated attempts, state transport commissioner Jaspreet Singh did not respond to the messages and calls.