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"I can confirm that we are proceeding immediately with introduction of computerised learners license test"

Minister of Transport, Dullah Omar said the introduction of computerised learners license would eliminate corruption at the very first stage of the licensing process. He was speaking at the launch of the new road safety strategy for South Africa titled the Road to Safety 2001-2005. The strategy is a process of consultation within community-based organisations, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and other stakeholders in the transport industry.

Omar said the process will be fraud free as the learner at the application stage will be digitally thumb-printed and photographed and images stored on the system. When the applicant returns to take the test, he or she will have to match the digitally stored thumbprint and image. The system then randomly generates a set of questions from database of over 400 possible questions and answers, and the machine internally marks the test.

The result is stored, backed up and if successful, automatically printed out onto the official learner's license form.

"The complete system will be almost hands free, incorporating the most modern security and control features and providing and "input-only" opportunity on all operational level, while at the same time keeping a full audit trail of all actions", Omar said.

Minister Omar added that the tendering process for this new world-class technology will run through January and February 2002, and the tender will be awarded on 14 March 2002. The successful bidder will then have six months to fine-tune the software to fully meet all operational and security specifications, and will then be required, from mid-September to mid-October 2002, to set up one pilot site in each province.

The evaluation of the pilot sites will run from mid-October 2002 to mid-April 2003; and will be followed by a full rollout to all provincial and metro Drivers License Testing Centres which must be completed by mid-April 2004.

"With this new system is good bye corruption and the pain it extends to many of our people, their families, relatives and children" Minister Omar concluded.

Contact: Mike Mabasa at 083 680 7048

Issued by Ministry of Transport

22 November 2001