A smart way for the Police to get traffic offenders off roads

In Rwanda, traffic police officers are visible on all major roads and junctions round the clock. In their bright yellow jackets, they can hardly be missed, be it in the rain or under the scorching sun.While they appear to be strict with the often reckless taxi motos, there is another section of motorists who repeatedly commit traffic offences and somehow manage to get away with it.The police is missing a trick here; it’s time to unleash this pot of gold.There is a new crop of Rwandan men and women who are wealthy enough to own cars but too busy to process a driver’s license, let alone a Rwandan one. The smart ones have figured out a way of acquiring one from any one of our neighbouring countries and the even smarter ones have memorized all the potential locations the police would be and avoided those routes. For purposes of space, I will leave out those blessed with a convincing tongue that they smoothly unleash - talking themselves out of any situation. While it is illegal to drive without a license, many of the drivers without permits actually know how to operate the vehicles, however, they have been let down or frustrated by the process of acquiring a license. They have gone as far as to convince themselves that it’s okay to get on the road without the required permit. That’s what happens when systems are not designed appropriately to serve the intended users; people find ways to circumvent the system.This situation can be reversed either by handing down extremely tough sentences to the culprits or making the process of acquiring a license more efficient and less time consuming.Imposing tough sentences such as jail terms would help get illegal drivers off the road, but I bet that’s not how the Police would like to spend their precious time. Let’s just say there are bigger fish to fry out there…violent crime, terrorism, domestic violence, human trafficking, embezzlement, illicit drugs and alcohol you name it. If they made the process of acquiring a license less time consuming, they would not only score massive brownie points with their clients but also win their case against illegal drivers in the court of public opinion.The cost of providing a more efficient service would be borne by the consumer. After all, if you plan on owning a vehicle and are in position to meet the recurring costs (insurance, maintenance, fuel), you should be in a position to cough up the one-off payment of obtaining a license.To be a licensed driver in Rwanda, one has to sit for two exams. The first is a theory exam that determines the applicant’s level of understanding of the traffic rules and regulations. The second is a practical exam that determines if the aspiring driver can operate a vehicle with ease while putting into consideration other road users and their safety.The police organize en mass seating of the exams, sometimes in stadiums to accommodate the thousands of applicants on each seating, with each taking place at least once a month. This system, while it served its purpose 20 or so years ago, it is surely outdated for the twitter and facebook generation.The police cannot be isolated in a time when the government is pushing the ICT agenda across all other sectors. It should have options that fully embrace the use of existing technology and are inherently more efficient. With current advances in technology, the Police can set up computerized testing centres that are equally or more rigorous in producing results instantly and in the medium to long term, saving the police lots of money. The initial investment in technology will more than pay for itself as more drivers seek to obtain permits legally than try to find more convenient albeit more expensive alternatives.There are internet cafés spread out across the country and so are police posts. These two can form partnerships and increase the frequency of conducting web-based or online tests. The Police can make the service a little more costly so that for those who want to enjoy better services pay up more. People are always willing to pay more for better services.It is so unfortunate that drivers are willing to pay Rwf 300,000 (USD500) to process a driver’s licence from a neighbouring country, yet it costs 5 times less to own a Rwandan one - this has been going on for more than 10 years!Why can’t they pay that money to the coffers of the police and get a license? The special exams that existed a few years ago were based on influence; they should be reintroduced and instead be based on the will to pay up for the extra service. The existing set up can remain, but for those who want their license faster, they should happily pay more for the expedited service.By charging the offenders extra the police would increase its revenues while also bringing down the number of traffic offenders - a win-win situation for the police, drivers and road users in general.The author is a Kigali based social commentator. @StellaMusoni