No need for physical license anymore: Minister delivers long-awaited announcement

KOZHIKODE: Minister of Transport, K B Ganesh Kumar announced the introduction of digital driving licenses to address the numerous complaints surrounding delays in obtaining new licenses. He made this statement while inaugurating an AC rest center at the KSRTC bus stand in Kozhikode.

The delays in printing licenses and Registration Certificates (RCs) have been attributed to the fact that Indian Telephone Industries Ltd., the contracted agency, is owed Rs 15 crore. As a result, applications have been pending since July. To provide a permanent solution, Transport Commissioner C H Nagaraju has recommended to the minister that driving licenses be made fully digital.

The proposed system will allow users to download their driving license, complete with a photograph and a QR code, directly to their mobile devices. This digital license will be accepted by traffic enforcement officers when presented on a phone. A fee of Rs 100 will be reduced from the usual cost of printing and delivering physical cards.

Licenses can be issued on the same day as passing the driving test. Once the test results are officially registered, the digital license can be downloaded immediately. Furthermore, if a mobile device is lost, the license can be downloaded onto another device.

The digital initiative aligns with legal stipulations that do not mandate carrying a physical card. The minister assured that officials will be equipped to identify and prevent the use of counterfeit licenses in the digital format.