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| December 23, 2006 | Saturday | Zilhaj 01, 1427 |
New vehicle registration system launched
ISLAMABAD, Dec 22: The district administration on Friday launched computerised vehicle registration system in Islamabad in collaboration with the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) to minimise terrorist activities, car theft, fake registrations and other crimes.
Under the new system, inaugurated by Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao at Excise and Taxation Office (ETO) on Friday, computerised vehicle registration books and number plates would be issued and data of owners be maintained through Nadra’s online verification system.
Islamabad is stated to be the first city in the country where the system has been introduced, and work is on to launch it in other major cities like Karachi, Peshawar, Lahore and Quetta as well.
“Now there would be no manual issuance of registration books and number plates of vehicles. We have obtained a software from Nadra to issue computerised registration books,” Deputy Commissioner Chaudhry Mohammad Ali told Dawn.
The official said the new number plates, which carried many security features, would be issued to help avert terrorist activities in the capital and trace cars that had either been stolen or used in crimes.
Under the system, cameras would be installed at all entry and exit points of the capital. This would help identify the car owners, while zooming in on their registration number plates, he said.
Inaugurating the system, the interior minister said it was a fool-proof security system that would help eliminate fake registration of motor vehicles. He said work was also underway to computerise the records of revenue, police and ICT administration.
Security cameras will also be installed in the capital to make it more secure for its residents, Mr Sherpao said.
He said the government was taking keen interest in improving the infrastructure of the capital so that it could meet the future requirements. In this regard, a record amount of Rs1.2 billion has been allocated in the current fiscal for uplift of rural areas of Islamabad.
The minister directed the capital administration to keep a strict check on the prices of daily use items, particularly edible items, on the eve of Eidul Azha.
Earlier, Islamabad Chief Commissioner Khalid Pervaiz said the Excise and Taxation Department had so far registered 250,000 vehicles since its inception in July 1980.
He said, at present, the department was registering 200 vehicles daily, while under the project “we have computerised the record of 110,000 vehicles”.
Under the Rs23.742 million project, the Excise and Taxation Department, Islamabad, would maintain a database of motor vehicles to be registered with the department.
The chief commissioner said the project was initiated in July 2004, but due to technical reasons and restrictions, it was stopped. Later, in January 2006, it was restarted and so far Rs12.2 million had been spent on it.
Mr Pervez said registration of vehicles had already been computerised, and with the advent of the new system, it would become easy to have a complete database of registered vehicles.
“We are also holding talks with the CBR for verification of documents of imported vehicles, which would help eliminate fake registration of such vehicles.” He said.
The chief commissioner said in the past, the registration process took one month, but under the new system, the applicant would be able to get his/her vehicle registered within seven days.
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