Smart Card for issuance of Driving Licence and RC by March08: Centre

New Delhi, Sept 9 (UNI) The Centre has asked the States that the implementation of smart card based project for issuance of Driving Licence and Registration Certificate needs to be completed by March 31, 2008 by all the States and UTs.

At a meeting of State Road Transport Secretaries/Commissioners of all the States held here, it was also decided that the computerization of all Road Transport Offices (RTOs) of the States should be completed by that date and linking of these offices to their respective State Head Quarters should also be completed by then.

Later on the State Head Quarters could be linked to Central Level to create National Register of motor vehicle data which would provide lateral connectivity amongst RTOs.

The National Informatics Centre (NIC) would be the nodal agency for providing the national connectivity, who are in the process of formulating the project.

All the participating States agreed that there was a need for immediate reforms in the road transport sector. There was also unanimity amongst the States for the need to have rationalized tax structure for motor vehicles.

The Centre impressed upon the States that they should evolve a mechanism to have unified check posts at single entry point at inter-state borders to ensure barrier free movement of both goods and passenger vehicles across the country.

The identification of points on National Highways where such check posts are to be created should have the clearance from the concerned Transport Commissioner and the concerned Chief Engineer, National Highways.

The States were urged upon to take effective enforcement measures to check the menace of overloading and to ensure that the order of the Supreme Court is implemented in the right earnest.

The States were also asked to strictly enforce various traffic laws enshrined in the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and rules made there under to improve road safety scenario in the country.

At the meeting Competition Commission of India (CCI) had made a presentation on their recent study findings concerning State Policies affecting competition on ''Passenger Road Transport Sector'' to advocate institutional reform to engender greater competition in the Passenger Road Transport Sector.

It was decided that recommendations made in the study will be examined by the States to imbibe greater competition in passenger transport services.

The meeting was presided over by the Secretary, Road Transport and Highways, Mr Brahm Dutt last evening.

UNI