Driving licences to carry new security features

6th September, 2013

Driving licences to carry new security features

LAHORE, Sept 5: After finding poor quality and security breaches in local as well as international driving licences, the City Traffic Police are now in the process of introducing new licences with embossed writing, high quality photo, fresh entry of Pakistani flag and map and new security features in a month or so.

A bidding process (after the open tender was advertised in a section of press a few days ago) to the effect was initiated on Thursday in which three parties participated, but the traffic police authorities rejected the bids with certain objections and initiated new tender process.

According to CTP estimates, up to 500 licences are issued daily out of which 300 are prepared against fresh applications and 200 against renewal and duplication applications.

The Punjab government allocates up to Rs9 million for multiple expenses under driving licence category.

A source in the licencing wing confided to Dawn that misuse of recently issued driving licences was common as corrupt officials managed to misuse specific numbers of licences of deceased people and expired licences.

He said people also used to get driving licences in back dates in case of traffic emergencies and job requirements.

Chief Traffic Officer Captain (retired) Sohail Chauhdry told this reporter that the new national driving licence would have laser embossed printing and new features like Pakistani flag, Minar-i-Pakistan and Lahore Fort besides CTO logo. Security features would include water marks and bar code, he added.

He said the international driving permit would include logos of Pakistan flag, Minar-i-Pakistan, Lahore Fort, Pakistan government and country map.

The CTO said after the biding process, the winning company would start printing new licences by using a laser printer worth approximately Rs7 million.

He said Lahore Traffic Police would take the lead in rest of the country in issuing licences with laser printing technology.

He said the technology recently being used by Kamera Craft Company was of manual printing which cost the government Rs73 per licence, adding the company was among other bidders for laser technology.

Chauhdry said the company would provide all printing material, laser machine and other stuff and licences would be issued under police supervision.

He said police were facing heavy burden of new licences in current year after manual book licences were going to expire by December 2013 and the federal government had already banned manual licences.

(Daily Dawn)

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