Drivers given second chance to register for new driving permits

Drivers who missed the previous registration for the new electronic driving licences will on January 26 be given another chance. According to Supt Robert Niyonshuti, the Commander of Traffic Police, the exercise will last for a month and will be carried out at every police station countrywide. He also revealed that the verification exercise for those who registered for the electronic driving licence in the first phase was over and that they will soon receive them. Many drivers who had not yet registered had cited lack of new national identification cards and other related issues. Niyonshuti advised those who missed registering due to lack of new identification cards to ensure that they get them in order to avoid missing out on the registration this time round. He also called upon all road users to abide by traffic laws saying that “road safety was not only about the festive season.” He urged the public to realise that road safety is not only the sole responsibility of the traffic police but for all road users, adding that if it is adopted, it will help in reducing road accidents. Explaining measures to be taken to strengthen road safety, Niyonshuti said that having qualified drivers is one of the ways through which road accidents could be prevented. “Although we are not directly involved in training the drivers, when it comes to the final stages when they are meant to acquire the driving licence, we are there to vet who exactly deserves a driving licence by examining whether they can drive professionally,” he said Ends