All drivers who still use the old driving license have until March 23, to get the new electronic permits, Police Spokesperson, Eric Kayiranga said yesterday.

The deadline for phasing out the old licenses had been previously set for December 2009, but was later extended to march.

According to information from the Traffic Police Department, only 56 percent of the total number of drivers has acquired the new licences.

"About 70,000 drivers are supposed to have got their new licences before the set date,” Kayiranga said.

The new Rwf 50,000 electronic licenses are plastic and bear a built-in data code that will contain all details of the holder.

New categories that did not exist before such as A1 and B1, for physically disadvantaged motorists, will also be included.

The process of registering for the electronic driving licenses started in the last quarter of 2008.

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