All services related to driving licence, except the driving test, of the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) have gone online.
The motorists need not have to reach the MVD offices for renewal of driving licence, change of address, duplicate driving licence and international driving licence permit. The applications can be submitted online and payments too. The original documents from the MVD will reach the doorstep of the applicant by post.
Non-Resident Keralites can renew their driving licence by remaining abroad itself. International driving licence permit can also be taken from abroad itself. Keralites staying in other States can also seek these services online. With this, the practice of collecting stamped covers for sending documents to the applicants has been put to an end.
Smart RCs
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Minister for Transport A.K. Saseendran said the work to make available the registration certificate (RC) of motor vehicles and driving licence in smart card was in the final stages. The MVD has entrusted the Kerala Books and Publishing Society with the job and it will be rolled out in two weeks. The existing practice of issuing the RC and driving licence from the MVD offices would come to an end once the smart cards were provided, he added.
All MVD offices would become e-offices from January 1, 2021 as part of paperless offices. Pollution testing centres had gone online as part of providing tamper-proof PUC certificates through genuine checking. Steps for linking the check-posts manned by the MVD in the State online was on, he added.
Bus fare
Replying to questions, the Minister said the proposal to reduce the bus fare was not under the consideration of the government now. It needed consultation with the stakeholders as it would cause a dip in revenue from the fleet, he said.