Vijayawada: Transport dept advised to issue laminated card as driving licence

Vijayawada: A distinguished International Road Safety Expert and Member of the National Road Safety Council under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India Dr Kamal Soi urged the Andhra Pradesh government to issue Driving Licenses and Registration Certificates in physical form (laminated card or smart card) as these cards are safe and the procedure to be followed as per the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989.

Speaking to media here on Tuesday, he said the Andhra Pradesh Transport Department persists in issuing digital-only documents, disregarding legal mandates and guidelines. He said there is a risk of transfer of personal data with the issuing of digital-only documents.

He said even private persons can also download the digital-only documents, which he said is unsafe because the persons seeking driving license have to give ID cards like Aadhar card to get the driving license.

He said the AP government entered into a MoU with a private company to issue laminated driving license cards but not implementing it for a long time. Dr Kamal Soi has urged the AP government to take measures to avoid issuing the digital-only card, which he said is against the rules of the Central government.

He made representations to Andhra Pradesh Transport Department on July 29, 2023, and November 4, 2023, seeking adherence to legal mandates and Motor Vehicle guidelines. He said the AP Transport department persists in its digital-only issuance, in defiance of established norms.