New ID cards and bus transport, medical records

If current talks with local banks are successful, ID card holders will be able to pay for public transport just by swiping their cards on the buses. General practitioners will also be able to access their patients’ medical records by using the ID card.

According to Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt, these are just two of the benefits that could be availed of through the microchip to be installed in the new ID cards.

Minister Gatt was replying to supplementary questions by Opposition Whip Joe Mizzi on what benefits the new ID cards would feature.

Dr Gatt repeated that the electronic system would be complete by the fourth quarter of this year. With the next general elections due by July 2013, this would leave 19 months in hand to make sure the new ID cards would be ready well before that date.

The expired ID card issue was raised again during the adjournment on Tuesday. The opposition main spokesman for security and immigration, Michael Falzon pointed out that the current ID cards expired some five years ago and the electorate had gone to the polls at least three times with ID cards, the limit of which had been extended.

He said that for some, the interests of the Nationalist Party were more important than the national interest because this was hindering an updated and correct electoral register.