Long-delayed Sri Lanka’s e-Motoring project gets off the ground
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Sri Lanka’s e-Motoring project is still struggling to see the light of day since its initiation almost 11 years ago but finally is set to get off the ground.
The project was launched with the signing of a MoU between the ICT Agency and the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) with Manju Haththotuwa signing on behalf of the Agency and the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, D. Wijeratne on May 20, 2005.
The Public Accounts Committee of the present parliament highlighted this delay if in its report released on September 22, 2016. It has been revealed that a sum of Rs.740 million allocated for this purpose during the period from 2009-2015, was utilised for other purposes of the Transport Ministry by changing the Heads of expenditure.
The committee expressed its displeasure over the inefficiency of the department and directed the Chief Accounting Officer to submit a detailed report with dates on how the programme is implemented.
The project is aimed at developing, implementing and deploying of a comprehensive ICT solution to provide an effective and efficient delivery of selected citizen services of the DMT and the Provincial Department of Motor Traffic (PDMT).
The activities which are related to providing citizen services with regard to motor vehicles by DMT, PDMT, District Secretariats and Divisional Secretariats will be re-engineered, wherever necessary, and automated, officials said.
Several ad hoc improvements were made to the information communication network of the DMT spending millions of rupees during the past decade but the e-Motoring project has not been properly implemented, a senior official of the Transport Ministry told the Business Times.
The estimated cost for the project at that time was Rs.200 million. When questioned about the project in March 2012, then DMT Commissioner General, B. D. L. Dharmapriya told the Business Times that the implementation of the project has been delayed due to lack of funds.
He added that the department will go ahead with the project after receiving necessary funds from a donor agency. He said that the department will be greatly benefited by this initiative and therefore they will not give up the project.
Mr. Dharmapriya said that all preliminary arrangements of the project have been finalised. The staff of DMT, PDMT, District Secretariats and Divisional Secretariats will be using networked workstations to carry out their activities which will be covered by the e-Motoring project.
The manual files will be replaced by digital records and computer printouts will be produced in every occasion where a proof of transaction is necessary.
On July 07, 2016, the cabinet of ministers approved a proposal to improve the vehicle registration process at the Motor Traffic Department with the introduction of an E-Motoring Project.
The Ministerial Committee on Economic Management had recommended the cabinet to implement the project on build, operate and transfer basis.
The project is expected to introduce an electronic file management system while improving the current vehicle registration system and database.
The Cabinet Appointed Procurement Committee (CAPC) on behalf of the Commissioner General of Motor Traffic has called bids from pre-qualify contractors and/or firms for the implementation of proposed e – Motoring Project on Built-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis.
The evaluation of bids is now underway and the short listing of contractors and/or firms will be made shortly, a Transport Ministry official said.