Punjab launches faceless services for driving licences, vehicle registrations

In a major step towards digital governance, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday launched 56 faceless services related to driving licences and vehicle-registration certificates.

The initiative, aimed at eliminating corruption and easing public access to government services, allows citizens to avail facilities from their homes by dialling helpline number 1076 or visiting nearby "seva kendras".

Marking the symbolic launch in Chandigarh, Mann placed a lock on a Regional Transport Office (RTO), saying it represented a lock on "inconvenience and corruption".

He said the move was in line with the state government's zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and will end the harassment people earlier faced at RTOs.

Kejriwal described the initiative as a "historic day" for Punjab, calling it a "digital revolution in the transport department".

"People of Punjab had become slaves of the bureaucracy and their corrupt deeds after Independence. Today, the state has been freed from it," the former Delhi Chief Minister said, adding that people will now get driving licences, registration certificates and other services at their doorstep without the need to visit government offices.

He said earlier, applicants were required to visit RTOs several times for tasks like document verification, causing inconvenience, particularly to those living in remote areas or with physical limitations. Now, trained staff at "seva kendras" will facilitate these processes, ensuring efficiency and transparency.

Mann said Punjab has become the first state in the country to close RTOs in favour of a faceless model of governance, calling it a "pro-people" step.

He assured that no employees would lose their jobs under the new system, their services would be redeployed to other departments as per their qualifications.

In 2024-25, the state transport department processed nearly 29.2 lakh applications, including 19.6 lakh related to vehicle-registration certificates and 9.6 lakh concerning driving licences.

Mann said that handling such a large volume of requests required a citizen-friendly model and that help desks will operate at RTOs for the first 15 days to assist people during the transition.

The chief minister said the initiative would not only streamline public services but also allow the transport department to focus on improving core operations. He added that the government plans to introduce more such digital and people-centric reforms in the coming days.

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