The licence will potentially hold security features that will increase the authenticity of the licence, making it more difficult to forge, a problem not foreign to the existing driving licence.
In an interview during the` preparations for the e-government exhibition, which opens today at The Mall, the government official said that the format and layout of the policy has already been proposed and its implementation only had to wait for the policy and paperwork to be drawn up.
The proposed licence shares similarities with the current national Identity Card (IC), such as the microchip embedded within the IC, which can be used to store extra information. The licence will also have a barcode-style strip, which authorities such as the police can readily scan to upload information via a handheld device.
These particular features are hoped to curb and deter fraudulent activities, which have been known to be associated with the existing driving licence. The system supervisor, who opted for anonymity, said that there had been cases where people have made fake licences and thus, are driving illegally on the road.
The current driving licence is made out of paper and on some licences, the drivers details are even handwritten on the document. The public have previously voiced out the need to upgrade the format of the licence to increase its lifespan and improve its legality.
The system supervisor said that the new licence was an answer to the public's comments. As part of the department's e-projects under the new Land Transport System (SPD), the licence ensures security through the chip and barcode as well as a photograph of the driver printed on the plastic card.
It will also make it easier for authorities to check whether the driving licence is valid. Using a handheld device known as the XPDA-S, traffic police and other authorities can record and report a driving offence live via wireless Internet.
The government official added it was even within the department's scope to introduce a demerit point system, utilising the technology incorporated in the proposed licence. This measure would increase enforcement of traffic rules.
However, the system supervisor said any features on the licence had to be in line with Brunei's laws and regulations, in particular the Road Transport Act.
Apart from the proposed licence, the SPD also streamlines other processes such as facilitating online applications for licence, road tax renewal and other services offered by the department. The SPD also allows the public to view the progress of such applications, the government official noted.
The e-government exhibition will be inaugurated today by the Deputy Minister at the Prime Minister's Office Dato Seri Paduka Eusoff Agaki Hj Ismail at the ground floor of The Mall. The exhibition showcases e-projects being carried out by several government departments.
---
Autor(en)/Author(s): Ubaidillah Mash and Deno Goh
Quelle/Source: Brunei Direct, 12.06.2009
Bitte besuchen Sie/Please visit:
