Police introduce new technology in traffic dept

KIGALI - In a bid to provide quick and effective services, the Rwanda National Police traffic department has introduced electronic registration that is expected to accelerate the issuance of driving licences. According to Chief Superintendent Vincent Sano, the traffic police commander, those seeking drivers’ licences can register by simply sending a text message. They then receive a response that indicates their registration number. The new technology has significantly reduced time taken to acquire a driving license. “It reduced the time from four months to 45 days and we are looking to further cut the time to one month,” Chief Superintendent Sano said, adding that the move also helped scale down manpower from 150 police officers to 30. The new registration system also enables the public to track the progress of their licences. The technology ensures less contact between traffic police officers and the public thus increasing the levels of transparency. “It has reduced speculative and real corruption as only the identification number is required,” Sano said. Regarding dissemination of provisional and definitive driving test results, the text message system is used. However, the traffic police department has also introduced public kiosks to assist beneficiaries view their results. Speaking after touring traffic police facilities, Internal Security Minister, Musa Fazil Harelimana, said that efforts by the Police will improve on service delivery. “This new registration system will ensure that driving license seekers get to register from the comforts of their homes and workplaces thus reducing the time and money spent on travelling to various registration centres,” Harelimana said. He pointed out that the move is part of the overall government program to provide better services to the public. The event was also graced by the Inspector General of Police Emmanuel Gasana and other senior police officers. Ends