HARARE – The government is set to introduce a plastic driver’s licence compliant with the specifications of continental and regional bodies such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the East African Community (EAC).
Briefing the media in Harare, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister, Honourable Felix Mhona said the introduction of the new driver’s licence demonstrates the country’s commitment to harmonise and standardise training, testing and certification within the region.
“The new driver’s licence will consolidate the professional driver’s permit and the defensive driver’s certificate onto a single card. Professional drivers will be progressively certified, unlike the current scenario. We will have new professional driver permit categories,” said Honourable Mhona.
The first phase of the programme will see the government concentrating on clearing the current backlog of 600 000 applicants waiting for their driver’s license discs through the Central Vehicle Registry.
“The ministry has put in place a strategic operational plan to clear the backlog of 600 000 applicants. We will use a phased approach in order to avoid congestion at CVR and during the first phase we will prioritise those with manual certificates of competency issued between 1 January 2019 and 30 June 2019,” added the minister.
The new driver’s license will have 13 categories from the present numerical classes to new alphanumerical categories, thereby conforming with the requirements of the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic.
Once the new driver’s license system is fully operational, all drivers who would have passed their driving competence tests will receive the new licence discs within seven days.
