Carry driving licence, RC on your phone, Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issues new directive

GUWAHATI: Not physically carrying driving licence, registration certificate and other transport documents while driving will no longer land anyone in trouble.

The Centre recently brought in amendments in the existing motor vehicles rules to allow people to carry electronic versions of documents like driving license or registration copy of their vehicle. The authorities concerned including the police will have to accept the digital version of drivers’ driving licence and other vehicle-related documents. So from now on traffic-related documents verification can now be done with drivers’ mobile phones. The new rule will save people from carrying the crucial transport related documents while travelling.

The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in its letter dated November 19, 2018 to Director General of Police, Principal Secretaries/Secretaries of Transport department and Transport Commissioners of all States and Union Territories has drawn attention to the amendment in rule 139 of Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 in regard to the production of licence and certificates of registration made through the Notification G.S.R. 1081 (E) dated November 2, 2018.

The Ministry in its letter stated that as per the amended provision, the citizens can produce the transport related documents such as registration, insurance, fitness and permit, driving licence, certificate for pollution under check and any other relevant documents, if required, in physical or electronic form of on demand by any police officer in uniform or any other officer authorized by the State Government in this behalf.

The letter said the development will enable the use of digital platforms for carrying and verification of the documents. It is a step towards citizen facilitation. The letter signed by Dharkat R. Luikang, Under Secretary to Government of India requested the States and UTs to ensure compliance of the amendments made to rule 139 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 and make the enforcement officers aware of the new provisions so that citizens are not harassed or inconvenienced.

When contacted to respond to the Centre’s directive, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Guwahati City Amanjeet Kaur told The Sentinel that the police will abide by the directive. “But in case of major cases offence or crime related road traffic affair we might have to seek original physical version of documents,” Kaur said.

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