-by Nakasia Logan

The introduction of a new digital driver’s licence portal is being welcomed as a major step towards improving transparency, accountability and efficiency in the driver licensing process.

Traffic Chief, Assistant Commissioner Mahendra Singh, says the online platform is expected to benefit both law enforcement and prospective drivers by making the process more accessible and reducing the need for physical visits.

He said the initiative does not diminish the role of law enforcement, but instead creates a fairer and more transparent system for all parties involved.

“It doesn’t take away anything form us, we are not deemed unimportant or irrelevant anymore in the process, but this year is a win for both side us in law enforcement and a prospective driver so here lies the issue of no bias that you can practice or any that would be to the applicant the police plays the role exactly as they ought to and the administration of the portal to achieve this change that you want to see is something that will definitely materialise for each driver for us in law enforcement,” he said.

Meanwhile, efforts are also underway to strengthen driver education through the digitisation of learning materials, including the Highway Code.

Short instructional videos have also been developed and uploaded to the portal and other media platforms to help applicants better understand the requirements before sitting their examinations.

“One of the things that we assume here is though reading will take place and some level of comprehension there may be a lacking of full comprehension so what we we’re doing is short videos referencing each are, these videos are posted to the portal its also on Facebook school and other media houses to get the message out,” he added.

The introduction of the digital portal forms part of the wider push to modernise public services through technology, while encouraging responsible driving and contributing to safer roads.