Smart cards will start replacing laminated driving licences in the city in a fortnight. Initially, the cards will be issued to those who obtain licences from the public vehicles department (PVD).

“We had completed the preliminary work much earlier. We were only waiting for the Centre’s nod, which we received recently.. We will start issuing the cards within a fortnight,’’ said transport secretary Sumantra Chowdhury.

“We want the chief minister to flag off the process. The formalities, including computerisation, are almost complete. We are just waiting for the chief minister’s confirmation before fixing the inauguration date,” Chowdhury added.

The smart card is a magnetic card that will store the details of the driver — name, address, age, validity of licence, blood group and the names of referees.

The details can be decoded by punching the card into certain computers, to be placed in the PVD’s Beltala office and in the office of the deputy commissioner of police (traffic).

In case of any violation of traffic rules, the cop on duty will not seize the driving licence (as is the practice now). Instead, the smart card will be punched and the offence recorded in the computerised system. Once the errant driver pays the fine, the offence will be deleted from the records.

The card will cost Rs 180, excluding the licence fee of Rs 280. “We admit the charge is high. But the expenses are largely beyond our control, as most of the cards were prepared by foreign companies,’’ said the transport secretary.

The owners of motor training institutes, however, are not happy with the government’s decision to introduce the cards in the PVD-served areas only for the time being.

“Apart from imparting training to a learner, we also take the responsibility of procuring a driving licence for him. As the PVD will issue only the high-priced smart cards, most of our clients will prefer to get their licences issued by Regional Transport Offices (RTO), including the one in Alipore,” said Bimal Guha, general secretary of the Motor Training School Owners’ Association. The RTOs charge only Rs 280 for a licence.

Now, Calcuttans can obtain their licences either from the PVD or the Alipore RTO.

Allaying fears, the transport secretary said: “The problem will not last long. The smart cards will be introduced in RTO-served areas, too.”