Madras Security Printers wins contract to supply 750,000 smart cards

Kathmandu, October 16

The government has awarded the contract of printing and supplying additional 750,000 smart driving licence cards to Madras Security Printers of India.

Madras Security Printers is also the current supplier of smart driving license cards to the government.

Roop Narayan Bhattarai, director general of the Department of Transport Management (DoTM), informed that the Indian company was awarded the contract today as it made the lowest bid to supply the smart cards.

Three other French companies — Oberthur Technologies France, PW Technologies France and Cilpsals Technology France — had also expressed interest to supply smart driving licence cards.

The DoTM had published a notice for the tender to supply the smart cards and smart card printing machines on May 29.

“We signed an agreement with the Madras Security Printers today for supply of 750,000 smart cards and three printing machines,” said Bhattarai.

According to DoTM, Madras Security Printers has said it would supply three smart card printing machines at $980,000 and that it would supply 750,000 smart cards for around Rs 100 per card.

“Madras Security Printers will be responsible to supply the 750,000 smart cards and three printing machines within the next two months,” added Bhattarai.

DoTM has not been able to distribute smart driving licences to the public who have already passed their trial examinations since May due to shortage of smart cards. As a result, thousands of people are waiting for their smart driving licences.

Though the demand for smart licences is ever increasing and the current demand stands at around 4,000 units a day, DoTM currently has the capacity to distribute only 300 smart licences per day due to lack of adequate printing machines.

Meanwhile, DoTM is also preparing to call for a global tender for another two million smart cards within few weeks.

“Once the Indian company supplies 750,000 units of smart driving licence cards, we will be able to bridge the demand-supply gap temporarily. However, we need to purchase two million units of smart cards soon to ensure smooth supply of smart driving licence,” said Bhattarai.