Government plans smart cards for transport sector

The government is planning to introduce the smart card for driving licences and bill books from the current fiscal year. Initially, the concept was brought two years ago.
“Department of Transport Management is calling for a global tender for the smart card soon,” said director general at the department Chandraman Shrestha. Smart cards can be effective in controlling the use of fake driving licences and bill books.
“We have restarted the process following a directive from the Ministry of Physical Planning, Works and Transport Management,” he said, adding that the ministry has decided to reintroduce smart cards to reform the transport sector. The tender process will start in three months and within the current fiscal year, it will come into practice. 

Earlier, in 2010, minister for Labour and Transport Management Mohamed Aftab Alam had tried to introduce smart cards for licences and bill books. However, the process could not take off after the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority suspected irregularities in the process.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing financial support for the smart card project.

Similarly, the department is also planning to introduce embossed number plates for vehicles to control criminal activities. Nearly 1.4 million vehicles are registered in the country including more than 850,000 motorcycles.

Similarly, the department has completed creating digital record of driving licences and bill books in all its 14 zonal offices, though it was started around a decade back