Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, June 11 2010:
Smart card-based driving licenses and registration certificates are being issued at all zonal transport authorities in Manipur from the current month June.
State transport department completed installation of the system in all the districts headquarters for introduction of the system.
The system had already introduced in Imphal west district in October 2008 on experimental basis.
Introduction of the system in zonal transport authorities is likely possible within this month as installation of software for issuance of the card and other process like verification and connecting networks smart card radar have already completed in all the district headquarters, official source in the state transport department said.
Director of state transport department, BK Sharma said issue of smart card-based driving license and vehicle registration certificates was introduced in Imphal west district of Manipur for the first time in October 2008 .
Later, government decided to launch the same system in Imphal west and Churachandpur.
Works for launching the same like installation of software etc.
in Thoubal, Bishnupur and Kangpokpi had been completed, he said.
Mention may be made here that zonal transport offices at Kangpokpi covers the entire Senapati district, Imphal east covers Ukhrul while Thoubal covers Chandel district.
The smart card system in Manipur is being developed by the state transport department in collaboration with the Union ministry of transport and highways, New Delhi, Sharma added.
After the whole districts are covered by this system, the authority will used smart card radar in checking vehicles' registration number.
For the time being smart card radar is not using, he informed.
Once the smart card radar is in use, it will provide high quality services for issuing smart card-based DLs in all Zonal Transport Authorities (ZTA).
This will help eliminate malpractices and ensure a robust, efficient and reliable system.
The smart card-based DL has a computerized photograph, fingerprint impression, signature of the applicant and other data making it impossible to issue a driving license to a person without that person turning up at the ZTA.
The system is designed in such a manner that the fingerprint for one-to-one matching and other details of the license holder are used as key fields for verifying the particulars of the license holder.
This prevents the issue of duplicate and fraudulent DLs, the director said.
So far, around 15,000 smart card registration certificates have been issued in Imphal west district.
Newly buy vehicles are being registered with smart card system.
The process for translating the all the vehicle registration certificates is also under progress, the director said.