Guwahati, Feb. 12: The state transport department launched "online dealer point registration" here today to put an end to long queues for vehicle registration at the district transport office (DTO).

The web-based application developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC) was launched by transport minister Chandra Mohan Patowary at a function held at Betkuchi here.

Under this registration system, a dealer is given a username and a password to access the website of the transport department.

The dealer completes all the formalities required to register a vehicle, like filling up the relevant form, insuring the vehicle and getting the registration fee from the buyer and deposits the same with the DTO.

The transport office then allots the registration number to the vehicle and the buyer can collect the registration certificate from the dealership without visiting the DTO.

"This new system will end the harassment or inconvenience faced by the people while visiting the DTO office for registration of their vehicles," Patowary said at the function, jointly organised by the transport department, NIC and North East Automobile Dealers' Association (NEADA).

Transport commissioner and secretary Ashutosh Agnihotri described the new system as a "transformative reform" which will minimise human interface and expedite the process of registration of vehicles by reducing physical movement of files.

Agnihotri said it was introduced in five vehicle dealerships in the city on a pilot basis and will be launched in all dealerships, including two-wheeler dealerships, in Kamrup (metro) district by March 31 and in the entire state by July.

Patowary said the state government would introduce a similar system to issue driving licences soon.

"The applicant will have to visit the DTO office only once to get his photograph clicked and the licence will be delivered to him by post as it is done in case of passports," the minister said.

"We are also going to launch an app through which the people will be able to lodge complaints or grievances against the transport department," he said.

Expressing concern over the fact that on an average 7,000 people lose their lives in road accidents in the state every year, Patowary said they would take "strong measures" to curb road mishaps.

"We are setting up trauma centres for accident victims across the state and have plans to set up a world-class driving school with computerised facilities in the state," he said.

At the function, Patowary also distributed 11 point of sale (PoS) machines (card swipe machines) to transport department officers for conducting cashless transactions in their respective offices.

Transport commissioner Puru Gupta, state informatics officer of the NIC, Deepak Goswami, and NEADA president Ujjwal Goswami were present at the function.