Drivers puzzle over smart cards

It has been more than one and a half months since the launch of smart cards in Bangalore, but the software is still not in place.

So far, nearly 38,000 smart cards have been issued to the public from all the ten Road Transport Offices (RTOs) in Bangalore. However, there are many people reverting to the RTOs with problems—the details entered on the cards are sometimes inaccurate, sometimes just missing. The snag is that after issuing the smart cards, the transport department has not distributed the reader devices—the machinery that lists the required details of the individual, once the card is swiped.

DV Susheela, who was among those receiving the card, said, “I have got my smart card for Driver’s License and Registration Certificate (RC) Book. When I approached the bank officials for a car loan, they asked me to submit the RC book. I gave them my smart card, which they rejected.

They said the card did not have  have details like hypothecation (the means by which credit is extended), which is available only in the RC Book.  Since banks do not have the reader devices to acquire the necessary details they need about me, my loan application is still pending.”

Another smart card user, MR Srinivas said, “When I wanted to sell my car, my customer could not access the car details from my smart card. These are details easily available in the RC Book. We decided to print the data off the chip, but the software was not available at the RTO.

Owing to these inconveniences, the customer decided to not buy my car. The transport department should have had all these arrangements in place before issuing the smart cards.” Transport Commissioner, Bhaskar Rao said, “We are aware of the problems the public is facing. The new smart card is a completely new system. It will take time to even out.”