Government to call global tender on Friday
KATHMANDU, AUG 30 -
Smart card technology-based driving licence and blue books in Nepal is on the verge of becoming the reality with the Department of Transport Management all set to call global tender on Friday. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has provided grant assistance of US$ 2.3 million for the project.
“We are calling tender for smart card driving licence on Friday,” said Chadra Man Shrestha, director general of the department, calling for a swift completion of the project which has already been delayed by two years.
The project, supposed to be implemented in 2010, was halted when the Commission for Investigation of Abuse and Authority (CIAA) launched a probe into the project in 2010 over alleged irregularities by the then Minister for Labour and Transport Management Mohammad Aftab Alam. The CIAA, however, had opened the door for re-starting the project by returning all the documents after the change of guard at the ministry.
The smart card system is aimed at ending duplication of licences, blue books, other vehicle related documents and start keeping electronic records of all vehicle owners from the current fiscal year. A month ago, Ministry of Physical Planning, Works and Transport Management had decided to intensify smart card project and embossed number plate procurement procedure. The department has also stated that they would soon call tender for implementation of embossed number plate in vehicles. “The consultant has recommended us three modalities for the implementation of embossed number plates and we also need to make modification in the draft tender document,” said Shrestha, informing that they would call tender once a decision is made on modality after consultation with the ministry.
Kuber and Company has been working as the consultant of the department to study the international standard of embossed number plate systems, prepare a tender document for the implementation of the system and recommend to the government at least three models. The consultant had submitted the study report and draft bidding document to the department on Monday.
In its report, the consultant had suggested the department build-operate-transfer, build-operate-own-transfer under the public-private partnership or make full investment from the government side to implement the embossed numbering.
Sarad Adhikari, director at the department, said that the study had put the options from adopting normal number system that costs Rs 500 per number plate to the one based on German technology with the latest security features that would cost US$ 50-100 per plate. “We will also have to decide on language and type of colour to be used on such number plates,” he added.
As per the existing provision, there are eight types of number plates bearing different colours for private, government, public, diplomatic mission and tourist vehicles. The report has suggested the department to limit number plate types to at least three colours without making any change to the blue plates currently being used by diplomatic missions.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
