Motorists in the eastern region in Sydney will trial new digital driver licenses as Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) government is planning to store drivers’ information using blockchain technology
Scheduled for November, the program Called TrustGrid, the blockchain network was reportedly tested in a preliminary pilot of the scheme conducted in the state’s Dubbo city last year.
The blockchain trails, which is part of a new innovative driver license digitalization program by the regional government, is expected to be rolled out across the state in 2019.
Participants in the exercise will be able to use their digital driver license, which is accessible on their mobile phone as proof of age and identity during police checks and also in public places. The preliminary test will involve 140,000 license holders in the region.
The government is partnering an Australian technology firm, Secure Logic who will provide the blockchain platform that will underpin the initiative to secure data in a distributed fashion.
Santosh Devaraj, CEO of Secure Logic said that he expects new technologies to significantly change how people interact with the government over the next decade since driver’s licenses are critical to the transformation of the public service.
He further explained:
“The era of standing in line to file government paperwork is coming to an end, as is our reliance on physical identification cards to establish your identity or proof of age with law enforcement or at licensed venues. These are mistake prone, time-consuming, expensive, and impractical ways to offer services.”
Australia’s Minister for Finance, Services and Property Victor Dominello noted that the NSW Government is exploring various means to use innovative technologies to solve everyday scenarios. He said the rollout had the backing of the parliament.
During the trials, drivers will still need to carry their physical licenses.
Solomon Sunny is the market reporter for Smartereum, one of the global leaders in Ethereum, blockchain and currency news. He produces technical price updates on digital currencies and writes recent developments about blockchain.
