Sri Lanka’s Motor Traffic Department goes digital, cuts paper work
Sri Lanka’s Motor Traffic Department (MTD) will soon replace its 84-year-old manual filing system of maintaining vehicle registration records, details of driving licences and other related documents with a fully automated documentary transfer management system, Commissioner General of Motor Traffic S. H. Harischandra said in an interview with BT Motoring.
The manual files will be replaced by digital records and computer printouts will be produced on every occasion where proof of transaction is necessary, he said.
The maintenance of over 4.7 vehicle registration files in dusty record rooms has become an extremely messy affair and it is difficult for workers to find a relevant file or documents as and when it is required, he added.
S. H. Harischandra
He revealed that a temporary arrangement has been made to store the old files in four containers due to the lack of space at record rooms at Narahenpita MDT office.
The fully automated documentary transfer management system will be implemented as a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) project with private sector participation next year.
He noted that documents normally stored in the department’s record room will be scanned electronically, and the original documents will be returned to the owner.
Mr. Harischandra disclosed that the department will implement an ambitious e-Motoring project in which services to citizens related to motor vehicles would be automated.
It aims at developing, implementing and deployment of a comprehensive ICT solution to provide effective and efficient delivery of selected citizen services of MDT and the Provincial Motor Traffic Department (PMDT).
Files pile up in dusty record room.Pix by Nilan Maligaspe
The activities which are related to providing citizen services with regard to motor vehicles by MDT, PMDT, District Secretariats and Divisional Secretariats will be re-engineered, wherever necessary, and automated, he added.
The project will create a database which could be referred to as the Vehicle Registry and it will be owned by the MDT.
This would be the major output of the project and the Vehicle Registry would be accessible by other relevant agencies such as the Police Department, he said.
The office of the PMDT will also be equipped with an Information Communication Technology (ICT)- based system to perform its functions related to motor vehicles.
The MDT computerized its major activities in 1980s by using a legacy system, later it was converted to a client-server system.
However, the computerized system, which has not been upgraded and expanded to capture other areas relevant to MDT, is presently insufficient for optimal efficiency of its day-to-day activities.
Most of the activities of MDT are still carried out manually using paper-based records, he added.
Mr. Harischandra disclosed that a web-based solution will be introduced for handling official activities of MDT such as registration of motor vehicles, transfer of ownership of motor vehicles, file monitoring system/document management system.
The eRevenue Licence facility which enables vehicle revenue licences to be issued afresh or renewed by applying for it online using internet from home without physically going to the relevant Government office is now in operation at the Western Province Motor Traffic Department, Maligawatte, he said.
This on-line operation with an eRevenue Licence facility has also been introduced to Kurunegala, Hambantota, Anuradhapura and Puttalam branch offices.
Worker inside a record room
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