Dept entertains 650 applications daily:
Smart driving licence cards progressing well - Commissioner
Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA
The issuance of the smart driving licence cards is progressing well
and the Department of Motor Traffic entertains 650 applications per day.
The processing includes renewals, attribute change extensions and new
driving licences, said Commissioner of Motor Traffic B. Wijayaratne.
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B.
Wijayaratne |
The Department of Motor Traffic became the first paperless office in
Sri Lanka. “This electronic filing system will be introduced at vehicle
registration and vehicle owner transfer registration, he said.
“We have two methods of processing. One is on-line and the other -
off-line. Our Werahera office works online whereas the district offices
are off-line. We plan to convert all our district offices on-line by the
end of this year. We now reward drivers with driver improving points as
against driver demerit points which was in operation earlier”, he said.
The applications are entertained at the Werahera office and all work
pertaining to the one-day service is directed to that office. The
applicant has to obtain a token ticket and should wait until he is
called by the displaying system. Once he gets his turn he has to produce
the NIC and the birth certificate.
He is photographed at the counter. All documents will be scanned by
the documentary management system. The application will be generated by
the system itself.
A large crowd gathers at the Werahera office daily and it is beyond
our capacity to process 650 applications per day. Having understood the
grievances of people who have to go back empty-handed we are in the
process of finding a solution to arrest this situation, he said.
Accordingly the web-based solution is in the designing stage. We will
introduce this system next month to serve our customers efficiently and
satisfactorily. Under this system a person could visit a Nenasala or the
nearest communication centre in his vicinity and access our web page. He
could register and get an appointment from the Department. This system
will enable a person from a remote area to know before-hand whether to
visit the Werahera office or not, he said.
With the introduction of this system the travel and waiting time will
be minimized and the cost will be less. These externalities in
connection with the Department will be converted in to the spill-over as
these shortcomings would be overcome. This is another step to satisfy
our customers. The Commissioner said, “Our aim is to win the National
Quality Award”.
In the future web page solutions will be adopted at the district
offices and at the head office at Narahenpita. The department expects to
emulate Singapore. The automation will also have trickle down effect
such as IT literacy for adults and people in rural areas.
The computer based written examinations will be conducted within two
months. This will enable the applicants to sit the examination at a date
and time convenient for them.
Accordingly, mini laboratories will be set up at the Werahera office
and district offices. “Applicants need not fear this computer-based
examination as it does not require computer literacy. What is needed is
the ability to use the arrow key. They also have the option of answering
the questions verbally and the department will provide the facilities,
he said.
With the use of state of the art technology, the Department of Motor
Traffic will be into the future in time. This is the theme for this
year, he said. |