Motorists in Kenya are set to start using smart driving licenses to pay instant fines in a new move that will kick off from next month.
According to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), the new licences will come with a payment wallet from where motorists will draw funds to pay instant fines in the event they are arrested for minor traffic offences.
“The smart licences have a payment wallet that enables traffic officers to collect fines from motorists via a gadget,” said Francis Meja, the NTSA director. “You can utilize the wallet for other payments, including fuel but more importantly it will be the mode of payment for traffic fines.”
The digital cards will come with preloaded points and every time a driver commits a traffic offence, points will be deducted.
“They will come with a point system where users will get points deducted for various traffic offences. Once they exhaust their point system, they will then have their driver’s licence confiscated for a period of time. The points will be about 20. Should they go down to below 15, the driver will be suspended from the road for a period of six months,” said Mr Meja.
The instant fines are for minor offences like speeding, riding motorcycles without protective gear, failure to fasten seat belts, pedestrians blocking free passage of cars, driving on footpaths and travelling with part of the body outside a moving vehicle. The penalties range between Sh. 500 and Sh. 10,000.