Smart vehicle registration system down again

The smart card registration system for new vehicles, motorcycles and commercial public transport under the Rawalpindi Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department has been out of service once again. As a result, no registration smart cards have been issued for any vehicles registered between February 1 and May 3.

In the last four months, approximately 25,700 new vehicles and motorcycles were registered in Rawalpindi District.

However, none of the registered owners have received their smart registration cards, causing significant frustration and mental distress among thousands of citizens and drivers, many of whom have made repeated but futile visits to the department's offices.

A spokesperson for the motor branch of the excise department in Rawalpindi confirmed the system failure and stated that smart card issuance will resume once the system is repaired next week.

The department's new vehicle and motorcycle registration and transfer system faced significant setbacks just weeks after its re-launch following an overhaul in September last year.

Online registration and payment of transfer fees became next to impossible due to the system's malfunctioning.