The Indian states of Gujarat, Delhi and Maharashtra have successfully countered forgery and abuse of vehicle registration documents with new, highly secure certificates of registration. At the core of this programme are HID Global’s leading security features and advanced card design.
The document fraud problem
For many years, key transportation and tax officials of the states Gujarat, Delhi and Maharashtra were confronted with widespread fraud based on the abuse of paper-based vehicle registration documents. Tax evaders and traffic violators erased records of ownership and previous violations while criminals evaded authorities because vehicles were not traceable to criminal or terrorist activities.
The business issues
Transportation officials in these three states needed a high-tech, high-security approach to combat extensive inefficiencies, corruption and administrative backlog. The vehicle registration system was designed to provide the majority of revenues for state transport offices, but without systems for securely managing fee collection, all three states were unable to capture adequate fees. In addition, officials could not access evidence of a vehicle’s registration, insurance or soundness, nor could police track vehicles used in crimes.
Requirements
The essential requirements for new documents were counterfeit-resistance, durability, and the ability to securely store ten years’ worth of data and seamlessly interact with the government’s e-licensing system. This combination was critical to prevent fraudulent alteration and to withstand ten years of inconsiderate handling by vehicle owners.
A counterfeit- and tamper-resistant solution
Gujarat, Maharashtra and Delhi each selected HID Global’s ID credential based on the unmatched security record of the company’s LaserCard optical security media, which has never been compromised. Since September, 2001 Delhi and Maharashtra have instituted new cards known as “Registration Certificate (RC) Books” for all existing and new motor vehicles; in Gujarat, the new cards are voluntary.
The cards have provided Indian officials with proof that a vehicle’s registration and all related fees are current. Officials have evidence of insurance and soundness of vehicles at their fingertips. In addition to the economic and safety benefits, the card has been instrumental in deterring the illegal transfer of vehicles and aiding police in the identification of criminals based on the accessibility of information about vehicles used in crimes.
There is no known instance of |
Many advantages to meet many needs
Counterfeit resistance:
There is no known instance of the digital security of HID Global’s LaserCard optical security media being compromised. The data recording process is physically irreversible, which effectively eliminates any realistic ability to counterfeit.
High data capacity:
The 1.1 megabyte optical media securely holds all required vehicle and owner information, including facial images, demographic and biometric information, plus scanned documents supporting the vehicle history.
Durability:
The laminated construction meets the most stringent durability requirements, as certified by an independent laboratory, supporting a ten-year lifetime for each vehicle registration card.
Low-cost solution:
The combination of advanced technology, durability of construction, data capacity, and application flexibility deliver maximum return on investment.
Optical data storage:
Certified scanned images of original documents, which cannot be fraudulently altered, are available to authorities at tax renewal, dramatically reducing bureaucracy.
Updateable:
New biometrics or personal data to be added by authorised personnel to help prevent obsolescence and fraud.
Meeting today’s security imperatives:
The “RC Book” vehicle registration document is a multi-technology, advanced card incorporating optical media with a data capacity of 1MB and a 4KB IC chip. The optical media digitally stores the vehicle owner’s portrait, demographics and fingerprint image plus scanned images of certification and taxation documents. This information cannot be erased or altered.
