Punjab Transport Dept fails in implementing driving licenses & RC

Chandigarh: Grave inconveniences and hardships are being caused to people of Punjab due to lapses in implementation of Driving Licenses and Vehicle Registration Certificates by the Transport Department, Punjab. The citizens have to make various rounds of RTO offices as the printing of Driving Licenses and Vehicle Registration Certificates have come to a complete stand still and closed resulting in huge pendency in the state of 2 lakh cards at various RTOs, claimed Dr. Kamal Soi, International Road Safety Expert and Member of National Road Safety Council, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.

Citing news reports published in various sections of the Media, Dr Soi claimed that nothing is being done by the Transport Department to redress their grievances. In this regard, news articles published in prominent newspapers are enclosed in evidence that the printing of Driving Licenses and Vehicle Registration Certificates have come to a complete stand still and closed resulting in huge pendency in the State of two lacs cards at various RTOs.

He said that, “ It is a matter of fact that in lot many cases there is huge delay of more  than 1 month which is entirely contrary to the terms of the Contract executed by the Transport Department with the Service Provider in terms of which DL/VRC is to be made available within 1 week  of application made. The Service Provider has completely failed to provide DL/VRCs on time, resulting in huge inconvenience and hardship to the people of Punjab.

Instead of giving due regard to the inconvenience and hardship of the people of Punjab, The Transport Department is making every effort to protect the Company (Smart Chip Pvt. Ltd.), who is the service provider, from penalty for delay in making DL/VRCs and cancellation of their contract. It seems that the Transport Department is in connivance and hand-in-glove with the Service Provider which is evident from its conduct. The Transport Department in fact is taking contradictory stands; at times it is saying that the pendency is due to the internet not working, at other times it is saying that the pendency is due to delay in approval or due to smart card chip being unavailable. Whatever may be the case, in view of inordinate delay on the part of M/s. Smart Chip Pvt. Ltd. in providing DL/VRCs to the people of Punjab on time, the Transport Department must have either imposed the applicable penalty or should have cancelled the Contract of such a delinquent service provider.

In fact, the Company M/s. Smart Chip Pvt. Ltd. is complete failure to provide DL/VRCs not only in Punjab but also in Uttar Pradesh where same company is implementing a similar Project and causing inconvenience and hardship to the people there too. News reports published in various newspapers of Uttar Pradesh were shared as in evidence in the Press Conference , which claimed that the printing of   Driving Licenses and Vehicle Registration Certificates in the State of Uttar Pradesh has also come to a complete stand still and closed resulting in huge pendency in the State of more than 2 lacs cards in the State at various RTOs.

He said that, “It is noteworthy that M/s. “Smart Chip Pvt. Ltd.” ) is the same company which is involved in serious litigation with the Transport Department of Government of Punjab in Civil Writ Petition No. 15421 of 2018 whereby the Transport Department cancelled their DL/VRC Contract which was obtained by them by Manipulation of the public procurement process to procure unauthorized and illegal extension of the Project in the State of Punjab at exorbitantly high rates. It is submitted that such a Company is a tainted party against whom serious litigations are pending in the Hon’ble High Court of Punjab & Haryana.