The Hindu Business Line : AASI issues more global driving permits

The Automobile Association of Southern India (AASI) is issuing more international driving permits now thanks to more number of software professionals from India travelling abroad.

According to Mr M.K. Subramanian, Secretary, AASI, an independent body authorised to issue these permits, in 2005 the association issued 1,900 international driving permits (IDPs) compared to 1,700 in the previous year. About 90 per cent of the IDPs have been obtained by software professionals. In the first three months of 2006, over 500 IDPs have been issued. Before 2000, the number used to be 500-600 in a year, he told Business Line.

According to Mr Subramanian, hiring a chauffeur-driven vehicle abroad is expensive, and Indians are instead hiring vehicles and driving on their own. This is one of the major reasons for the increase in the number of IDPs issued.

Special licence

The IDP is a special license for tourists authorised by a United Nations treaty. It allows motorists to drive vehicles in different countries without further tests or applications. It is proof that the holder possesses a valid driver's license issued by a competent authority in his or her country of residence. The IDP is valid for a year, he said.

AASI was given powers to issue IDPs to its members by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka governments in April 1996. This facilitated its members to get IDPs across the table as compared to four or five days taken by transport departments.

Membership rises

The rise in the issue of IDPs has also increased the association's membership, as those seeking the permit need to be a life member of the association, which has about 25,000 members, he said.

He said the association had sent circulars to software companies in Tamil Nadu to use AASI's services for getting IDPs to employees. The eligibility to get an IDP includes a life member of AASI and the individual having a driving licence issued by Tamil Nadu with a valid address. While the life membership fee was Rs 3,500, the IDP fee was Rs 600, he said.

To a query on complaints that IDPs issued in India were not accepted in some of the countries, especially in the US, Mr Subramanian said there is ignorance among lower level police officers on IDPs in most countries. It is a similar situation even in India.