Hi-tech driving licence from August

The much delayed hi-tech micro chip embedded driving licence using smart card and biometric technologies now scheduled to be introduced for the first time in July/August is expected to end up being an additional burden on everyone’s purse.

Critics charge that drivers will have to fork out as much as Rs. 1750 to obtain the new licence. Without specifying the exact amount to be charged for the new licence Motor Traffic Commissioner B. Wijayaratne however says it will not be so much. The current licence in use costs Rs. 630.

He attributed the enhanced cost of the new licence to use of cutting edge technology. The matter had been decided by a Cabinet approved tender board and there was nothing he could do about it.

The contract has been awarded on a build, operate and transfer basis to the biometrics firm Face Technologies, South Africa. It has formed a joint venture to handle the project with Austria Card as the technology partner and Metropolitan Group as its local partner. The supply contract includes all application software, computer infrastructure, servers, networking and work stations as well as support and maintenance and operational services for seven years.

As there are no Government funds invested in this entire operation, the private investors will have to recover their investment from the monies charged for the new licence.

According to Mr. Wijayaratna the Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau is now doing up a building at the CTB’s Werahera complex, according to contractors’ specifications to house the new licence issuing unit.

Under this project the Motor Traffic Department will additionally implement a driving licence management system to streamline the personalization, production, and issue of the new licence. Each applicant’s photograph, digital signature, and fingerprints will be captured when the application is submitted. The licence will then be processed, personalized and posted to the applicant within two weeks. It could also contain additional emergency information, including the driver’s blood group and other medical information.

In the 1990s another so-called hi-tech driving licence with a magnetic strip was introduced, but it proved to be an utter failure as it did not come with support equipment, even to read information supposedly contained in the magnetic strip like a record of any accidents caused by the driver. The result was it was done away with no sooner it was introduced.