Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (SS)

Mangaluru, Nov 9: The Regional Transport Office (RTO) is facing an acute shortage of smart cards. Owners of new vehicles and those applying for driving licences are now made to wait for months to get their smart cards.

It is learnt that about 5,600 RC (registration card) and 1,300 DL (driving licence) smart cards have gone for print. The situation is no different in most of the RTOs operating in the state as customers have been waiting for their smart cards for the last 2-3 months.

RTO officials are buying time from customers to hand over the smart cards. According to the rules, smart cards are dispatched within a fortnight but now due to a shortage of cards customers have been making them for months together.

People who buy new vehicles are the most badly hit. Transport Department in Bengaluru despatches the empty smart cards to respective RTOs based on the orders. The smart cards are being supplied by contractors. Most of the services such as printing, staffing and computer consumables have been outsourced to third party vendors. Due to shortage of empty smart cards in Bengaluru, RTO offices are unable to print licences or RC books which the vehicle owners are continuously complaining about.

Rajavarma Ballal, president of Canara Bus Owners Association said it has been more than a month since the new vehicles were registered but smart cards have not reached him. He said the transport department officials have no answer to the problems.

Shivakumar of Mangaluru said he had cleared the driving licence test. But even after two months he had not received the smart card. He said on enquiring from the officials it was found that they had not yet got the smart cards. He said even though many of the government services had improved. However, the transport department had not found a solution to basic problems like availability of smart cards.

Customers have to pay an additional sum of Rs 50 towards postage and transportation of smart card to their home address by post. Due to technical issues, the beneficiaries are unable to get the cards by post as well.

Meanwhile, Purushottam, additional commissioner, e-governance, transport said, "There were issues pertaining to distribution of smart cards. But, now suitable action has been taken to supply smart cards to all RTOs. In a few days’ time we are likely to solve the issue."