Online provisional driving tests to start in March

The new system will not replace the common one of doing exams in stadiums but people will use both in order to provide good service to as many people in short period of time.

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

As Rwanda continues to promote innovation and technology, Rwanda National Police has not remained behind.

The Spokesperson of Traffic and Road Safety Department, Senior Superintendent Jean Marie Vianney Ndushabandi, has announced that beginning next month, the police will rollout online provisional driving test.

"We will begin with trials in Kigali before rolling out to other provinces. The new system will not replace the common one of doing exams in stadiums but people will use both in order to provide good service to as many people in short period of time,” he said.

"Preparations are going on at Traffic Police head office in Muhima. The system will start in Kigali as a pilot scheme to help us know the challenges and how effective it is”.

"In the process of registration, people will choose to do exams online or on paper as usual. Those who register to do the exams online will go to Muhima where they will find computers, then follow the procedures of doing the exams in a given period of time,” he added.

"There will be shifts in doing exams where the examination room will accommodate over 50 people. Since the exams normally take 20 minutes it means we will be able to receive more than 150 people an hour. We will see how effective the system is and then decide if people can sit the exams two or three times a month”.

The public in general welcomed the move, though the president of United Driving School, Vincent Twagiramungu, said students will need some training.

"It is good but training will be needed for the students on procedures to be followed so that they become familiar with online exams,” he advised.

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