Thiruvananthapuram: Fresh attempts by the Central Government to streamline vehicle ownership transfers through an Aadhaar-backed "faceless" online portal have hit severe bottlenecks in Kerala, leaving hundreds of motorists stranded in administrative limbo and fueling allegations of corruption.

Despite the official launch of the paperless initiative fortnight ago—designed to allow owners of vehicles registered after 2018 to transfer ownership entirely online—over a hundred applications are currently piling up at regional transport offices across the state.

Critics and frustrated applicants report that officials within the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) are selectively processing files rather than adhering to strict chronological queues. This lack of automated priority, campaigners allege, has allowed unauthorised middlemen to broker preferential treatment for their clients while ordinary citizens face prolonged delays.

Inordinate hold-ups are further compounded by repetitive bureaucratic layers. Applications must still clear three separate hurdles—passing through a clerk, a superintendent, and a Joint Regional Transport Officer (Joint RTO). Furthermore, those utilising the mobile OTP authentication route are still routinely requested to present physical documentation in person at local counters, completely undermining the spirit of a digital-first service.

Departmental confusion has worsened matters, with field staff reportedly receiving inadequate guidance regarding recent software modifications. Common issues such as clerical discrepancies in Aadhaar documentation are adding days to processing times, rendering the department's public pledge of a five-day turnaround largely meaningless.

Crucially, structural shortcomings in the centralised software architecture continue to penalise vehicle buyers. Because vehicle records and revenue collections remain tethered to the original registering office rather than a unified state database, a buyer in Ernakulam acquiring a car registered in Thiruvananthapuram sees their service fees routed back to the capital. Rectifying these misdirected payments requires manual intervention from the original office—a tedious process that leaves motorists increasingly reliant on touts to navigate the system.

Industry observers stress that until both data storage and fee collection are fully integrated into a seamless state-wide digital repository, the promise of a truly faceless, hassle-free administrative system will remain out of reach.