(JollofNews) – It is quite possible that most car owners and drivers would welcome the likelihood of the traffic police coming up with a more presentable driver’s license as opposed to the old one, now that it is going to be produced by a much more professional document producer like Semlex. However, while I do not have much idea about how the process was arrived at and what it entails, but I am concerned about the apparent lack of adequate preparations for its implementation. To say the least, the process of acquiring a license is so far quite chaotic and it has become quite a nightmare for drivers.
In my attempt to ensure that I always try to do the right thing at the right time, immediately I heard the announcement for car owners to renew their annual driver’s license from Semlex, I went there during the first few days with a view to renewing my license. However, upon arrival at the place, I found not only a very long queue, but also a near-chaotic situation, with several people blocking the door to the office, trying to force their way through.
Therefore, seeing such a situation, I had no choice but to leave the place and go back home as I could not imagine how I would be able to renew my license under such a chaotic situation. I have no doubt that many others may have felt exactly like I did, and they had to go back without getting their licenses renewed.
It is indeed quite hard to imagine how the traffic police expect the thousands of car owners in this country to renew their licenses without adequate arrangements being made to open more facilities for the process. How would they expect people to spend a whole day queueing up to renew their licenses when they had other more pressing bread and butter issues to take care of?
While I have no idea what the new arrangements are, but I think it makes quite a lot of sense to extend the live-span of the new license to at least five years instead of remaining an annual process. Apart from the unnecessary time that drivers waste every year trying to renew their driver’s licenses, at the rate I have seen the process being done this year, it may take more than half the year for the thousands of drivers to renew their licenses for 2019. Therefore, why not make it a five-year process and make life more convenient for both drivers and the traffic police?
Another innovation that the traffic police should consider as a matter of necessity is the possibility of online renewals, which would not only save people from having to queue for several hours to just get their licenses renewed, but it will also ease the pressure on everyone as well as on the available facilities. I know it is part of the e-government programme of the government and the sooner it is implemented, the better for everyone.
License racketeering flourish in this type of scenario described and I will be amazed if changes are made quickly. This idea of everyone changing their license at the same time was fine when we had few drivers. With the driving population increasing exponentially, it makes sense that licenses last for longer periods. For instance my UK license last for almost a lifetime from date of issue with proviso that every 10 years your picture is renewed and as you get older undergo eye test. My US one is shorter, last for 8 years ( depends on state I believe) on date of issue. Replacement takes place in minutes after a quick eye test.
Whilst we are at it, the driving license and national ID card should be linked such that if you have a driving license, it acts as ID. This will cut cost for the citizens and same government on the cost of material used as well.
I am acutely aware that annual renewal is a stealth tax and GotG won’t like to loose it. Perhaps they can shift it to the road tax but make renewal annually from date of first issue to prevent overcrowding and the racketeering it breeds. The purchase of road tax can be even made simpler by allowing post offices/ tax offices/ private outsource entities to sell them.
Why should we renew driver’s license every year, and why should all licenses expires by the 31st december, even if obtained your license in November, by 31st December, it will expire