While Vahan deals with the registration of vehicles, Sarathi pertains to the issuance of driving licences.
| Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT
Frequent technical snags in the Vahan and Sarathi portals are affecting the functioning of the Kerala Motor Vehicles department (MVD), it is learnt.
A high-ranking official of the Transport department said all States in the country depend on the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the National Informatics Centre (NIC) for rendering public services through Vahan and Sarathi. “The system is cumbersome and has been experiencing frequent downtime in recent times. This could be primarily due to system overload, while poor connectivity and obsolete information and communication technology (ICT) devices, such as computers, are also contributing factors. The department is addressing connectivity and ICT-related issues, while problems caused by system overload are beyond our control,” he added.
While Vahan deals with the registration of vehicles, Sarathi pertains to the issuance of driving licences.
E-challan services too have been disrupted by the frequent technical snags, it is learnt.
Calling for effective measures by the NIC to remedy the situation, an official at the Ernakulam RTO said software issues arise whenever the two portals are updated. “The delay in resolving the issues and the resulting slowdown in the systems compound the problem. This is particularly true during peak hours. Making matters worse, the system logs users out every few minutes, prompting us to log in dozens of times each day. There are also issues relating to OTP. The two nationwide portals now handle a bulk of Kerala MVD services that were earlier carried out using the department’s own software.”
At present, the complaint management system too is ineffective, with the result that MVD personnel spend a lot of time waiting at their computers. In addition, many are forced to complete official work at home to prevent a backlog. The teething issues with the portals are contrary to the assurances regarding the ease of doing business, under which vehicle owners, operators and drivers could avail themselves of MVD services online. They are thus having to make unnecessary visits to RTO offices to access services meant to be available online. The RTO (Enforcement) offices in different districts are equally affected by the snags, according to the official.
Given the situation, the State government must take up the matter with the Centre, while the MoRTH must initiate user-friendly improvements to these portals. The websites should also be audited to avoid confusion and problems caused by too many links. The suggestions that the MVD made in this regard have not yet been implemented, the official added.
Another MVD official sought downtime accountability, plan B in the case of failures and a 24/7 troubleshooting wing in NIC.
Published – July 31, 2026 09:38 pm IST
