Smart cards pendency in Maha exceeds 10K

Printing work for driving licenses and vehicle registration cards is in full swing at three centers in Maharashtra, but there is a backlog of over 10,000 applicants yet to receive their licenses. Citizens have complained about the delays, and there are calls for the printing system to be reinstated at each Regional Transport Office. One applicant who passed their test in May is still waiting for their license three months later.

After the State Regional Transport Office (RTO) handed over the contract of printing permanent driving licences and Vehicle Registration Certificate (RC) Smart Cards to a Karnataka-based Manipal Technologies Company, printing work is now in full swing at three printing centres in the state. Around 45,000 smart cards are being printed daily in Mumbai, Chatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nagpur.

Around 45,000 smart cards are being printed daily in Mumbai, Chatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nagpur (REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE)

However, the backlog of the last two months is yet to be filled up and more than 10,0000 applicants who passed the test for permanent driving licenses in May and June, are yet to get their driving licenses.

All the RTO offices in the state including Pune have received a large number of complaints from citizens regarding pending driving licenses and RC books. The president of the Maharashtra State Motor Driving School Association, Raju Ghatole, stated that they are continuously following up with the state transportation department to avoid difficulties for citizens.

“The system of smart card printing should be continued in each RTO as before. Where should the citizens of Pune go if they have an issue with their smart cards,” said Ghatole.

Kishore Chavan, an applicant who took and passed the permanent driving test in May 2023, is yet to get his driving license smart card. “I’ve been waiting for a permanent license for three months, and when I was pulled over by traffic cops, I had to pay a fine as I didn’t have my license with me.”