ICTRAN, a truly versatile computer-based software package, was designed as a Road Transport Information Management System and initially installed at the District Transport Office of Patna. With the highly profitable run of NICTRAN for more than a year-and-a-half since, the Bihar State Unit of the National Informatics Centre has once again proved that a well-researched and elegantly designed software solution can really work wonders for the End-Users.
NICTRAN is the product of a joint venture between the Transport Department of Bihar and the Bihar State Unit of NIC. Developed by the members of the DISNIC cell after hundreds of man-hours of work, coupled with close attention to details, NICTRAN successfully achieved a stable state within a remarkably short span of time.
Being a true on-line and real-time system, NICTRAN has reduced the time a vehicle owner needs to spend at any one of the tax collection counters to well under five minutes! Its other features help the Department in managing other crucial activities such as detection of tax defaulters, false permits, issue of demand notices and reminders, automatic maintenance of cashbooks etc.
Available both on MSDOS/PCDOS as well as UNIX/XENIX-based platforms, NICTRAN can easily be installed and brought to an up and running state in no time at all. Its memory requirements are on the leaner side, and a tight coding system produces quick responses even when the package is run from terminals. A highly structured and modular construction lends it the flexibility of easy customization for tailoring it to meet the local requirements.
Within months of its implementation in the District Transport Office of Patna, NICTRAN quickly spread to five other important Cities of Bihar. Almost all the District Transport Offices utilizing NICTRAN have reported that their revenues have doubled since its installation. A sharp decline in the various kinds of commonly practised irregularities also proved the value of NICTRAN. Encouraged by the success, plans are afoot to computerize other District Transport Offices as well. Very soon, an inter-district computer link will also be established for easy access to the statewide vehicle databases.
In NIC however, a group of professionals is still working on the Package to refine it further. The feedback from the field staff is constantly monitored and the suggestions minutely scrutinized to see if they can be incorporated in the Package so as to improve its utility.