Issuance of new high-security driver's licences with digitised personalinformation will begin nationwide next month, according to the Ministryof Transport.
The project will be piloted in northern Bac Ninh Province and central Da Nang City beginning on Feb. 20.
Deputyminister of transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong said the change is designed tosynchronise the issuance of driving licenses, prevent counterfeitdocuments and improve the management of traffic violators nationwide.
Hesaid the new license will be printed in Vietnamese and English and willbe valid in all members countries of the Greater Mekong SubregionAgreement on Facilitation of Cross-Border Transport of Goods and People.
Thelicenses will include a profile photo, personal information includingfull name, birthday and address, expiry date and a code system todifferentiate and digitised information and features about individualdrivers.
Deputy general director of the Vietnam RoadAdministration Nguyen Van Quyen said based on this digitised system inthe country's network, all departments of transport and police will beable to verify drivers' personal information when re-issuing drivinglicenses or conducting criminal investigations.
"This new driving license also helps police officers to look up a driver's history of traffic violations."
Statisticsof the Ministry of Public Security's Traffic Police Department showthat more than 1,500 forged driving licenses were confiscated last year,down from 4,300 in 2010, mainly in the northern provinces of Bac Ninh,Vinh Phuc, Hoa Binh, Lang Son and central Nghe An.
Deputy general director Quyen said this nationwide system will help transport companies to check and manage their drivers.
NguyenVan Hop, director of Hop Hoa Transport Company said it is verydifficult for transport companies to verify the personal information ofdrivers printed on the current driving license during the recruitingprocess because they can not always tell if a license is legitimate.
"I usually recruit my drivers based on my experience and a driving test. But sometimes my instincts have been wrong.
"I hope that with this change, I can easily recruit well-qualified drivers to ensure the safety of my passengers."
NguyenManh Hung, head of the Vietnam Transport Association, said changing theform of driving licenses is necessary at this time because the currentformat is not water or heat resistant, is not valid in other countriesand is easily faked.
Quyen said current driving licenses arestill valid and do not need to be renewed until their expiry dates. Newlicenses will be issued in the place of damaged documents or those thathave expired.
The cost of a new license will be 150,000 VND (7.1 USD).
Hesaid the administration is focused on training its staff to get used tothe new issuance technology to ensure the whole network would runsmoothly./.
The project will be piloted in northern Bac Ninh Province and central Da Nang City beginning on Feb. 20.
Deputyminister of transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong said the change is designed tosynchronise the issuance of driving licenses, prevent counterfeitdocuments and improve the management of traffic violators nationwide.
Hesaid the new license will be printed in Vietnamese and English and willbe valid in all members countries of the Greater Mekong SubregionAgreement on Facilitation of Cross-Border Transport of Goods and People.
Thelicenses will include a profile photo, personal information includingfull name, birthday and address, expiry date and a code system todifferentiate and digitised information and features about individualdrivers.
Deputy general director of the Vietnam RoadAdministration Nguyen Van Quyen said based on this digitised system inthe country's network, all departments of transport and police will beable to verify drivers' personal information when re-issuing drivinglicenses or conducting criminal investigations.
"This new driving license also helps police officers to look up a driver's history of traffic violations."
Statisticsof the Ministry of Public Security's Traffic Police Department showthat more than 1,500 forged driving licenses were confiscated last year,down from 4,300 in 2010, mainly in the northern provinces of Bac Ninh,Vinh Phuc, Hoa Binh, Lang Son and central Nghe An.
Deputy general director Quyen said this nationwide system will help transport companies to check and manage their drivers.
NguyenVan Hop, director of Hop Hoa Transport Company said it is verydifficult for transport companies to verify the personal information ofdrivers printed on the current driving license during the recruitingprocess because they can not always tell if a license is legitimate.
"I usually recruit my drivers based on my experience and a driving test. But sometimes my instincts have been wrong.
"I hope that with this change, I can easily recruit well-qualified drivers to ensure the safety of my passengers."
NguyenManh Hung, head of the Vietnam Transport Association, said changing theform of driving licenses is necessary at this time because the currentformat is not water or heat resistant, is not valid in other countriesand is easily faked.
Quyen said current driving licenses arestill valid and do not need to be renewed until their expiry dates. Newlicenses will be issued in the place of damaged documents or those thathave expired.
The cost of a new license will be 150,000 VND (7.1 USD).
Hesaid the administration is focused on training its staff to get used tothe new issuance technology to ensure the whole network would runsmoothly./.
