Abu Dhabi: The complaints about delayed delivery of the national ID cards have prompted the Emirates Identity Authority (Eida) to think of card dispensers and engage one more courier service company to distribute the cards.
The national ID card applicants will soon be able to collect their cards from the card dispensers which will be installed in public places like shopping malls, a top official told Gulf News Monday.
After receiving a confirmation [text message] that the card has been printed, the applicant will be able to collect the cards from the card dispenser by scanning his or her fingerprints, Dr Ali Al Khoury, Director General of Emirates Identity Authority (Eida), said.
He said a pilot project will introduce a machine within two months. It will possibly be installed at a registration centre of Eida, the official said.
"If it is successful, more machines will be introduced in public places like shopping malls," he said.
Al Khoury made it clear that applicants will have a choice to opt for courier service. "But the card dispenser will probably be a cheaper option," he said. "We are looking for one better courier company to speed up the delivery of cards," the official said.
A media report said last week that Empost, which has been assigned to deliver the cards since 2007, had more than 20,000 cards pending for delivery.
Al Khoury said the Eida prints about 12,000 cards a day and all the new cards are handed over to Emirates Post and Aramex courier company that have been engaged recently. Emirates Post is distributing the cards through the post offices.
Frustration expressed
Many ID card applicants expressed their anguish at a text message from Eida, instructing them to collect their cards from Emirates Post. Anjali Dugar, a Dubai resident, said she had already paid courier charges and was not in a position to visit a post office, far away from the residence.
Several other applicants also questioned the move to distribute the cards through post office, despite the fact that they had paid the courier charges.
The Eida official clarified that the authority does not save the courier charges by distributing the cards through post offices. "It is just to avoid delay," Dr Ali Al Khoury said.
He said out of Dh70 extra charges per card, Eida takes just Dh10 for courier which is given to Emirates Post for the distribution now.
