Carrying a physical copy of a driving license or a vehicle's registration certificate (RC) is not mandatory and need not be produced if stopped by traffic cops. This, however, does not mean that one doesn't have to present these vital documents at all. Instead of carrying these documents in the car at all times - a risk too, in case the vehicle is stolen, commuters can now present these documents on government-mandated apps after these are duly verified.
Government-mandated apps like Digi-Locker and m-Parivahan have a provision to get duly certified driving license and registration certificates on one's phone and these then can be presented to traffic personnel if and when required for inspection.
Not only does it promise to make life of someone on or in a vehicle easier but also claims to make enforcement easier because all the data related to such documents would be digitally stored. License invalid or expired? Simply presenting a digital copy of it won't suffice because a traffic personnel will have access to all the records needed to check and if required, enforce penalties.
These are part of the recent notifications issued by Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH)regarding various amendments in Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989.
Needless to say, physical copies will have to be presented if the required documents are not presented digitally or not presented through government-mandated apps.
Additionally, a person can also make use of his or her phone while on the move as long as he or she does so for navigation purposes. It would be the driver's responsibility to ensure that even when using a phone for navigation purposes, this does not hinder his or her ability to drive and does not cause any risk to fellow commuters.
