Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has explained the Ksh3,050 fee charged to Kenyans intending to acquire smart driving licences.
Speaking during an interview, the CS attributed the charge to the high cost of producing a copy of a licence.
Therefore, the National Transport and Safety Authority has to factor in how much they spend on the production of the licences before determining the cost charged to applicants.
"The driving licence prices are informed by the costs involved in producing the same," he stated.
Notably, according to the State Department of Transport, each DL costs Ksh350 to produce. This was based on a revelation made at a parliamentary committee hearing on May 20.
On the other hand, Murkomen also explained why NTSA required applicants to undertake biometrics registrations during the renewal of the licences.
According to the CS, biometrics are usually required during the application and renewal process to authenticate the applicant.
Further, the CS revealed that the government would be making changes in the application and renewal of driving licences in due course.
He added that the process would be made seamless and beneficial to Kenyans who wish to acquire the document.
"We are going to change the whole ecosystem of renewal of driving licences and what it means, how to do it and we shall renew it in the near future," he added.
Notably, according to the National Road Safety Action Plan 2024-2028, NTSA will be phasing out the old driving licences (the red ones) in three years.
"Having established all legal requirements for regulating driving schools and instructors, a much stronger compliance program will now be initiated for driver training and testing.
"This will include establishing a three-year time period within which all drivers will need to have converted to the new driver's licence, and all old licences are legally void," NTSA highlighted in the plan.
