120,000 licences issued in NCD

THERE are around 120,000 licences issued to drivers in the National Capital District by the Motor Vehicle Insurance Ltd (MVIL), acting chief executive Bafino Koi says.
Koi told The National that MVIL was responsible for third party insurance and issuing licences but improving their security features was the responsibility of the Land Transport Department.
“All the provinces in the country have their provincial land transport division which issues licences to drivers except for NCD where MVIL administers issues licences,” Koi said.
“And bases on our data base, we have issued around 120,000 licences to drivers in NCD and annually, we are renewing between 20,000 and 25,000 licences as well as issuing new ones.”
He said as far as security features were concerned, the licences issued by MVIL to drivers in the National Capital District and those issued in the provinces had certain security features which police and traffic officers should check to identify whether the licence was issued by an authorised authority.
“For MVIL, the card that we use to print licences for drivers are produced by our overseas contractors in Australia and they have a hologram (photographic record) that contains certain information for reproducing three dimensional images as security features,” he said.
“So when we print the driver’s licence on that card, you are able to feel the silver holograph on the driver’s licence at the right-hand corner.
“If it’s not there and smooth all through, then this licence is not issued from an authorised issuing authority.”
Koi said the role of improving the security features lay with the Land Transport Department and that was something responsible government agencies needed to work with to address it.
“But it is also important to note that in any business, there is always risks involved with the advancement in technology,” Koi said.
“Like the counterfeit Papua New Guinea Kumuls or Hunters’ jersey or the factory-made bilums produced and sold in Chinese shops.
“We cannot deny that there are fake driver’s licences produced and floating around.
“Thus, it’s important that licences are checked properly by traffic officers and police to confirm they are issued by authorised issuing authority and at the same time, responsible agencies of state like the Land Transport Department and Road Traffic Authority work together to address the issue of illegal or fake licences.”