Hyderabad Vehicle Owners Face Delays in RC, Driving Licence Smart Cards; Alleged Agent Nexus Raises Concerns

Hyderabad: Vehicle owners in Hyderabad are reportedly facing prolonged delays in receiving Registration Certificates (RCs) and Driving Licence (DL) smart cards from Transport Department offices, forcing many to make repeated visits to government offices.

Normally, RC and driving licence cards are expected to reach applicants at their registered addresses within three days to a week after the registration or licence process is completed. However, several vehicle owners claim they have been waiting for more than one-and-a-half months without receiving their smart cards.

The delays have caused considerable inconvenience, with applicants having to take time away from their routine work and repeatedly visit the concerned Transport Department offices to enquire about their documents.

Several vehicle owners at the Medchal district central Transport Department office reportedly said they had been making rounds for nearly one-and-a-half months in search of their RC and driving licence cards. Officials allegedly told them that the entire process is now being handled through a centralised online system, resulting in delays in card issuance.

However, vehicle owners have raised questions over the functioning of the system. Some applicants have alleged that while ordinary citizens are being forced to wait for several weeks, certain individuals are allegedly obtaining smart cards within a week through agents.

Similar allegations have surfaced regarding driving licences. Some driving schools are reportedly charging up to Rs 5,000, claiming that they will facilitate the issuance of the licence card along with driving training.

There are also allegations that smart cards delivered through post are being intercepted or retained by certain agents, who later hand them over directly to the respective applicants.

Vehicle owners have alleged that officials responsible for monitoring the process have failed to take effective action despite repeated complaints.

There are 12 Transport Department offices in the Greater Hyderabad region. According to an official, around 17,000 smart cards are still pending printing at some offices.

Data indicates that around 80 to 200 vehicles arrive at each office every day for registration. With smart cards not being issued on time, the number of pending applications is reportedly continuing to rise.

Particular concern has been expressed over the alleged activities of agents at the Medchal central office. Vehicle owners claim that some agents operate inside the premises as though they were unofficial representatives of the Transport Department.

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According to applicants, those seeking faster service or immediate delivery of their smart cards are allegedly being asked to pay additional amounts to agents.

A vehicle owner identified as Srinivas said more than two months had passed since he registered his vehicle at the Medchal office, but the RC had still not reached his home. When he enquired about the delay, he was reportedly told that the card was still under processing.

Similarly, a woman named Prameela claimed that she did not receive her card even after a month. She alleged that she eventually approached agents at the office and, after paying the amount demanded, received the card on the same day.

Affected vehicle owners said such experiences raise serious questions about the transparency of the smart-card issuance system. They alleged that when citizens are forced to wait for weeks or months through the regular process while cards are allegedly made available quickly after payment through intermediaries, applicants feel compelled to approach agents.

Vehicle owners have urged senior authorities to ensure transparent monitoring of the entire process of smart-card printing, dispatch and distribution. They have also demanded the immediate issuance of pending cards and strict action against any alleged interference by agents, so that citizens are not forced to repeatedly visit Transport Department offices to obtain their legitimate documents.