Trade
4 years ago

Smart driving card in two months

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The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) is expected to kick off the delivery of smart driving cards in the next two months.

The regulator has recently assigned an Indian firm to issue the cards.

Sources said Madras Security Printers has been appointed to issue 4.0-million smart cards in the next five years to overcome a backlog in the issuance of paper-based licence.

The BRTA issued an estimated 600,000 paper licences as the earlier appointed company Tiger IT had failed to perform on the issuance of smart cards in time.

It appointed Tiger IT to issue 1.5-million smart cards or personalised dual interface polycarbonate motor driving licence cards as per a contract signed in 2016.

It was supposed to issue 300,000 cards each year.

A huge shortage of cards was visible for a rise in applications after the Road Transport Act took effect from November 01, 2018.

The BRTA cancelled the licence cards of Tiger IT after the World Bank had blacklisted the firm in April 2019 on allegations of corrupt practice.

The issuance of smart cards remained stalled since September 2019 as the BRTA could not appoint as fresh firm after calling tender twice.

Finally, the road transport regulator entered into an agreement with Madras Security Printers on July 29.

According to officials, the new firm has been given two months' time to mobilise its work on the resumption of the issuance of smart driving licence cards.

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