Once again, the Motor Vehicles Department is dusting up its shelved project for issuing smart cards for vehicle owners in the state.
Within a span of eight years, this is for the third time that the Department is reviving this proposal.
According to the project, the licence and certificate of registration will be converted into a pocketable smart card embedded with a memory card. Photographs of motorists and their thumb impression and details of registration, tax payments, fitness, hypothecation, pollution control certificates and offences will be included in the single card.
Earlier, the move to introduce smart card system was cancelled twice.
In 2002, the project was to introduce a smart optical card incorporating details of license and registration. However, tenders were cancelled following the revision of standards for issuing license and registration certificates in electronic format by the Central Government.
Later, tenders were floated in 2005 for issuing smart optical cards for registration certificates and smart cards for licences.
The tender was awarded to Indian Telephone Industries at the rate of Rs 400 for a smart optical card and Rs 150 for one smart card.
However, the tender was cancelled following a wide spread opposition from various parts against the heavy rates imposed for issuing cards.
Top officials said that the move to introduce smart optical card has been withdrawn and the present proposal is to issue smart cards at a price less than Rs 50.
“The storage capacity of chips embedded in smart cards has increased a lot. As there is enough space for storing all details regarding the vehicle, there is no need for smart optical card,” officials said.
“Presently, it is nearly impossible to know whether a motorist is a habitual offender or not. Such a recorded history of a particular motorist is not available now. The fine imposed varies with the repetition of same offence.
Smart card provides electronic access and data can also be entered whenever required. With just a swipe in a hand held electronic machine, the detailed history of the motorist can be accessed,” officials in the department said.
The company, which wins the contract, will act as a service provider to the MVD and will be entrusted to supply cards and enter the details.
The Department is planning to introduce the card system across the state at one stretch. The proposal is under the consideration of a technical committee comprising IT secretary, Transport secretary and officials of the (National Informatics Centre) NIC.