The Pune Regional Transport Authority (RTO), which has received four smart card readers over a fortnight ago, has not yet started using it and is awaiting further directives on its use from its headoffice.

“Though we received four smart card readers some days ago from Mumbai, we are waiting for further directions from the Mumbai head office,” Chandrakant Kharatmal, Pune RTO said.

“We cannot start using it for reading the smart cards because the RTO offices located in Mumbai, Thane and Pune need to be connected online. Once it happens, we will start sharing the data fed on the smart cards. This software programming is yet to fall in place, hence the delay,” Kharatmal said.

In 2007, the RTO had started distributing smart cards in place of the earlier paperback driving licences. Till now, two lakh drivers in the city have been equipped with smart cards. But the absence of the card readers had rendered the distribution of smart cards only partially successful.

For handling the smart card readers, a few RTO officials from Pune have been trained in Mumbai. The portable smart card readers are useful in registering and reading the data stored in the smart card microchip. “Once everything falls in place, three flying squads in Pune, will be given the responsibility of using the readers,” Kharatmal said.

A smart card has basic information about the licence holder printed on it, while other details are stored in its microchip. The card reader, which looks like a calculator, has a USB port on the side to connect the reader to the digital printer.

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