Leap Year Glitch Disrupts Japan's Driver License Issuance

TOKYO, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Feb, 2024) Several local police departments across Japan encountered problems in issuing driver's licenses on Thursday due to a system malfunction related to the leap year, local media reported.

Police departments in the prefectures of Niigata, Kanagawa, Okayama and Ehime reported issues starting Thursday morning, with some unable to transmit personal data from the driver management system to the license issuance machines.

The extra day at the end of February appears to have triggered a system error related to time and date functions, reported national news agency Kyodo, adding that the system was almost restored by noon.

Prefectural police departments are transitioning to the centralized system provided by the National Police Agency (NPA) from managing driver's license issuance independently, said the report, citing the NPA.

The four prefectural departments in question have already completed this transition and utilize machines from the same manufacturer. All police departments nationwide are expected to finalize the transition by the end of March 2025.