No more queues to collect driving licence

In order to confirm residential addresses of applicants, RTO to now implement scheme where licence will be delivered at doorstep

No more queues to collect driving licence

In order to confirm residential addresses of applicants, RTO to now implement scheme where licence will be delivered at doorstep

Those endless queues outside the Regional Transport Office (RTO) to collect your licence may soon be toils of the past. Under a state government directive, your driving licence is to be delivered at your doorstep via post, a month after you appear for the final test.

Home delivery: The RTO said the new foolproof system would be in
place within a few months. File Pic

The scheme was, however, introduced not for the convenience of people, but to ensure that veracity of residential addresses mentioned by applicants on their forms. An official from the licence department said the scheme had been implemented in Mumbai and directives have been issued to initiate it in the city also.

"It will start as soon as we work out the modalities with the postal department. No extra postal charges will be levied on the applicants. It will be a state-wide practice, but to implement it on such a large scale will require time," said the official.

"People's addresses can be verified and thus licences will be issued only to credible persons. It is not possible to check the authenticity of all the forms being submitted and this is a foolproof method. The postman will have instructions to hand it over only to the individual concerned and in case the applicant is absent, the person collecting it for them should produce a valid identity card."

Sanjay Dhaygude, deputy regional transport officer, said it would be a few months before the service is implemented. "With the recent terror attacks and internal security issues, we have to ensure licences are issued only to genuine individuals.
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Forging certificates is relatively easy and when coupled with the increasing number of people applying for licences every month, the picture becomes grim. The scheme will ensure a win-win situation for both the citizens and the RTO, as they save half a day's time and we end up saving manpower in verifying addresses," said Dhaygude.

The vehicle's Registration Certificate (RC), which is now issued in smart-card form, will also be posted. Currently, it had to be collected from the dealers, 45 working days after the purchase of the vehicle. The dealers have to procure it from the RTO.

While learning licences are issued at the RTO's Sangam Bridge office, permanent licences are issued at the Alandi Road office. The RTO here issues about 500 to 700 permanent licenses and around 200 to 300 RC books everyday.

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