Consortium picked to process ‘smart’ driving licences

Motorists can expect to be issued with smart second-generation driving licences by the end of this year following the successful identification of a consortium to supply them by the Ministry of Transport.

M/S Semlex Europe SA and Compulynx Limited of Beligium are expected to begin work on the new generation cards to replace the red hard cover documents by next month.

Speaking in his office, the Transport minister, Mr Chirau Mwakwere, said work would begin as soon as the Ministry of Finance signed the agreement, with a roll out expected by December.

“Once all is in order the firm will be given a secure place to set up and begin.”

Boost security
The country is changing its licences in order to boost their security features and to enable them carry additional information about the holder.

The new licence will contain information such as personal identification number (PIN), contacts, past traffic offences, fines previously paid, warnings and signature.

Police officers will be armed with a reading device to enable them both read this information and add a charge sheet to the database as necessary.

The invitation for tenders to supply the new generation licences was issued towards the end of 2007 with over 30 companies applying.

Five companies were shortlisted before the government opted for the consortium from Belgium.

The agreement will be on a Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis of five years which will allow the firm to recover its costs through distribution. In the past few years the number of driving licences issued in the country have been increasing steadily.

Data from the 2008 Economic Survey shows that the total number of driving licences issued last year increased by 8.5 per cent over the previous year from 185,183 to 200,869.

According to the minister, the new licences will help reduce the number of accidents on Kenyan roads as all information on driving history including previous traffic offences will be loaded onto the card.