Obtaining Duplicate Driving Licence A Thing Of The Past: Government Plans To Mandate DL Linking With Aadhaar

The Union Law Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad has said the government is working to make it mandatory to link Aadhaar with driving licenses (DLs) to promote road safety and help law enforcement agencies identify rule-breakers easily, reports Mint.

“At present, what happens is that the guilty person who causes an accident flees the scene and gets a duplicate licence. This helps him go scot-free.However, with the Aadhaar linkage you can change your name but you cannot change your biometrics, neither iris nor fingerprints.”

“So the moment you go in for a duplicate licence, the system will prompt this person already has a driving licence and should not be given a new one,” said the Minister on the sidelines of the ongoing 106th Indian Science Congress in Punjab.

This move will help curb the menace of fake or duplicate licenses. Also, by linking DL with Aadhaar, government agencies will be able to maintain an accurate and updated record of all traffic violations made under a particular licence. This will make it harder for habitual offenders to drive without paying fines.

One nation, one licence

This government is also expected to notify some rules that will provide uniform driving licenses across the country.

“The government will standardise the format of driving licences across India. Each driving licence from respective state bears different color and format... We need to bring uniformity,” said a government official.

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