WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 (UPI) -- A government watchdog says the Transportation Security Administration faces serious challenges in implementing new biometric ID card for transport workers.
The Government Accountability Office recommended that before rolling out its Transportation Worker Identification Credential, or TWIC card, in the maritime sector the agency should "develop and test solutions to problems identified during (earlier) testing to ensure that key components of the program work effectively."
An assessment by an independent contractor "found deficiencies with TWIC program testing and recommended ... additional testing," says the report, completed at the end of September but released only Friday.
It said the Transportation Security Administration "plans no additional testing of the TWIC program," although it had taken other steps to deal with the issue.
Maritime industry executives have complained that the tests the agency did employed a different technology to the one they eventually chose for the program, and believe the kind of swipe card readers officials opted for in the end will not work well in the hostile maritime environment.
The Transportation Security Administration responded by delaying the rule that would require the card readers installed and saying it would work with industry to reach a solution.
But they are moving ahead with the plan to start issuing the cards to 800,000 port and sea workers by the end of the year.
"Rapidly moving forward with implementation," warns the report, "without developing and testing solutions to identified problems to ensure that they work effectively could lead to further problems, increased costs, and program delays without achieving the program's intended goals."
The Government Accountability Office also criticized the oversight of the private sector contractors hired to develop the program. The agency acknowledged the deficiencies, saying it had insufficient staff.
