The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) announced that it completed the printing of smart driving licenses (DLs).
In an update posted on Sunday, February 19, NTSA confirmed that the smart DLs were ready for collection and invited drivers who applied for new or renewed licenses to pick them up.
It added that the collection would be available five days a week at the respective facilities where applications were made.
“We request the applicants to visit the centers where their biometrics were captured to facilitate the issuance of the DLs.
“The DLs may be collected from Monday to Friday, between 8a.m and 5p.m, upon presentation of the original national identity (ID) card,” the notice read in part.
Those who encounter difficulty are asked to visit the nearest NTSA offices or send mail to the authority at dlqueries(at)ntsa(dot)go(dot)ke.
The clarification came after Kenyans raised concerns over the delay in the issuance of the smart licenses upon application.
According to NTSA, the processing of the smart DL takes three to four weeks after an applicant’s photo and biometrics have been taken.
A license is a must-have for any driver in the country. During the waiting period, drivers can either present the receipt of payment for the license when required by traffic police officers.
Alternatively, they can verify their license validity status by sending their ID numbers to 22846 in the format DL(ID number).
The smart DL was introduced by NTSA in 2017 in a bid to phase out the old booklets. Each card is unique to a driver and contains information such as their blood group.
In addition, the card also contains the category of vehicles an individual is approved by the state to drive. All cards are loaded with 20 points which are deducted every time a driver commits a traffic offense.
Source: kENYANS.CO.KE