Thiruvananthapuram: The state government is set to roll out the Sarathi scheme, which was launched by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to unify licensing across the country, by December 31.
The Motor Vehicles Department has already started the project on a pilot basis at its three centres in the state. A top official told DC that the scheme aims at issuing smart card driving licences to drivers, whi-ch will have a slew of security features, inclu-ding QR code and hologram.
“Currently, we are finding it difficult to verify the authenticity of the laminated paper licences being issued in the state. The new smart card driving licence will be more durable and unique,” he said.
It is learnt that there are around 1.5 crore driving licence-holders in the state and the department issues around 8 to 10 lakh new licences every year.
“Each of our district office issues around an average of 40,000 fresh licences every year. Our plan is to bring uniformity in the design of the licence statewide. We are also planning a centralised printing system to ensure the uniformity in the design of the licences,” said the official.
The design of the new licence will be finalised soon.
The new applicants will get high-quality smart cards, which are more durable than the current paper licences. “The existing licence-holders will get the new smart driving licence when they come for renewing,” the official added.
