Tracking stolen vehicles made easy

Centre to set up national registry

The project envisages setting up a national registry comprising details of all registered vehicles and driving licences issued in the country. Transport project, started five years ago, is set to complete within the next six months.

As per the registry, every state has to computerise its regional transport offices (RTOs) by digitalising registration certificates of vehicles and driving licences. RTOs will be connected to the state registry which will in turn be linked to the national registry.

The national registry will be accessible to all states and RTOs across the country for quick verification. Thus RTOs can verify details about people who apply  for driving licences or vehicles, particularly old ones, seeking registration, a senior official in the ministry told Deccan Herald.

Once all the RTOs start accessing the registry, holding multiple or forged driving licences of different states will not be possible, said the official.

Sources said once individual information about licence holders is available online, getting a duplicate licence will be difficult. This system is expected to end the common complaint of drivers holding fake driving licences.  

‘‘Many people have more than one commercial driving licence. If they are caught for offences or are booked they simply shift their base and start driving vehicles with the licence from another state. The national registry will end this practice.