Kenyans drivers will soon start using the digital driving licences which are set to monitor motorists and reduce traffic offences.
According to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), the smart licences will enable drivers to pay instant fines whenever they are arrested over offences.
NTSA Director General, Francis Meja, explained that traffic officers will collect the fines using a special gadget, a system which aims at reducing levels of bribery on the roads.
The licence, which will look like a debit card, will also enable the holder to pay for services such as purchase of fuel.
The card will also contain personal details of the driver stored at a centralised system and will be used to monitor the conduct of motorists.
It will also record whenever a motorist is involved in traffic offences with the data being used to punish those who repeatedly break the law.
NTSA director of ICT Fernando Wangila divulged that the digital licence will come with preloaded points and every time a motorist is involved in any violation, 20 points will be deducted.
If the points go below 15, the licence will be suspended for six and use of a revoked card will attract a one-year jail term.
“Once it crosses the threshold of 15 points, the driver’s licence will be suspended for six months. If caught driving with a suspended DL, a driver will be imprisoned for one year with no option for bail,” he explained.
In January the Transport Authority announced that it had shifted from the manual transaction of vehicle registrations to an electronic one, following the creating of a Transport Integrated Management System (TIMS).
All drivers and car dealers were required to create a profile on TIMS and register their details on the system.
