In Islamabad Excise and Taxation Department has failed to install scanners or devices at police pickets for chip-based vehicle smart cards and security being compromised.

National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has prepared hence they create serious obstruction in the verification at different police posts. Card goes unverified at various police posts in Islamabad due to the unavailability of scanners.

Practical launch of the ‘vehicle identification cards’ system initiated by Excise and Taxation Department in 2015 is still anticipated. Installation scanners or devices at police pickets can only make it practical.

Chip-based smart vehicle identification card by Excise and Taxation Department to replace the ubiquitous registration book is a remarkable step.  New vehicle identification cards can correctly certify that a vehicle registered with a fake registration and number plate never pass through.

“The project aimed to convert the epochs’ old system to a modern one in line per international standards,” said Muhammad Asif, Excise and Taxation Department official.

He further said that Safe City Project directed the Excise and Taxation Department for issuance of smart cards but did not provide the scanners.

Excise and Taxation Department official said that a total of eight lac fifty thousand vehicles are registered under the department.  Seven hundred vehicles out of the total 1 lac 18 thousand have been issued smart identification cards.

Muhammad Sher, a sub-inspector in the Traffic Police, said that traffic policemen are facing immense difficulties in verifying vehicle documents due to no scanners.

Superintendent Traffic Police Khalid Rasheed said that we have a look at the smart card to let vehicle pass.

IT expert, Asif, said that vehicles smart cards prone to different wi-fi networks threats but only advanced technology of encryption to prevent unauthorized access and decryption to reverse process of encryption can secure data.

Mehmood Ali Khokhar, Motorway Police PRO said, “security clearance is the responsibility of local police.”

Mariam Mumtaz, Director Excise and Taxation said, “We are doing assigned duty which is to issue vehicles smart cards to the citizens, installation of scanners is not their responsibility.”