60 MVD services to be Aadhar-OTP based from September 21

As many as 60 more services of the Motor Vehicles department will be made Aadhaar OTP-based from September 21 as part of efforts to prevent exploitation by middlemen. Services provided via the portals Vahan, which provides vehicle-related services, and Sarathi, which provides driving license-related services, will be made completely online. With this, applicants will not have to visit RT offices in person for most of their needs, said a press release from the department.Currently, only 21 services are available online. There were complaints that middlemen were exploiting applicants as the rest did not have proper OTP verification. The new change aims to stop the trend of deliberately delaying applications and then taking bribe by promising to expedite them. For this, the Motor Vehicles department had asked the National Informatics Centre and the Union Ministry of Surface Transport to make the remaining services online. The software testing for this is currently in progress.First-come, first-serve basisWith the introduction of the new system, applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Visit to RT offices will not be required except for vehicle inspection, identification of heirs and personal hearing. Slots for such purposes can be booked online through the Nammude Keralam portal. For personal hearing, one can also appear through video call through the V-Meet system on the portal.Those who need technical assistance to submit applications can directly approach Akshaya, CSC centers or RT offices. Only in case of failure of Aadhaar OTP verification, will the applicant have to appear in person to ensure authenticity. Slots for tests of driving license and conductor license should be booked through the Sarathi portal and slots for fitness tests should be booked through the Vahan portal. Automated vehicle inspection centres will soon be established in all districts of the State. Three centres have already started functioning in Kollam and Alappuzha districts. Published - August 30, 2026 06:52 pm IST