The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Smart card-based licence, vehicle registration

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 29, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Smart card-based licence, vehicle registration

K.T. Sangameswaran

It will be introduced in three Regional Transport Offices

CHENNAI: The Transport Department has invited tenders for issuing smart-card based driving licences, and registration certificates for vehicles. In the first phase, it will be introduced in three Regional Transport Offices.

The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued a notification five years ago that all States should introduce such licences and certificates.

The cards, with an embedded microchip, will have a visual part and a ‘machine readable zone.’

It will have the licence holder’s photograph, signature and biometrics in electronic form.

Security requirements

The system will conform to national security requirements. Again, from a security angle, a major advantage is that the data can be updated, but not erased.

The data stored on the optical strip is digitally signed, making unauthorised access impossible, according to C.P. Singh, Transport Commissioner.

The system will be introduced on an experimental basis in Chennai (South), Cuddalore and Sivaganga RTOs and extended to other RTOs.

Cost factor

The cost of the cards will have to be borne by licence holders, Mr. Singh told The Hindu. Penal action would become automatic and easier. Repeat offence would invite automatic cancellation of licence. As part of the efforts towards ensuring road safety, instructions have been given to officials to suspend the licence for six months in case of fatal accidents and drunken driving in the first instance. Licence will be cancelled for repeat offence, Mr. Singh said.

All the 51 RTOs and 46 unit offices of the Transport Department have been computerised and inter-linking process is on, he said.

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