The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development has introduced digital Route Permits for public service buses.
In a statement, Transport Minister Felix Mhona said the digital Route Permit will make it easier for law enforcement agents to verify and validate the authenticity of permits. Reads the statement:
Pursuant to the objectives of the National Development Strategy 1, which envisages the modernisation of our economy using ICT and digital technologies, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development wishes to advise the public of the launch of the digital Route Permits for public service buses.
A digital Route Permit is issued in terms of Section 12 of the Road Motor Transportation Act [Chapter 13:15].
The permit, which has enhanced security features and counterfeit deterrence measures, has a digitally signed barcode that is readable by any mobile phone.
In that regard, it is now easy for traffic law enforcement agents to verify and validate the authenticity of this Permit.
Further, the new ICT system for processing this Route Permit is fully integrated with the Central Vehicle Registry to validate vehicle licensing and registration details.
This system is also integrated with insurance companies to validate statutory third-party motor insurance and passenger liability cover.
This will enhance the ease of doing business for bus operators, who will enjoy the convenience of reduced waiting times when they apply for the new Route Permit issued at our Road Motor Transportation Offices situated in all the provincial centres across the country.
From a transport planning perspective, this new system will enhance our capacity to monitor the supply of buses on all routes with a view to avoid route over-saturation – thereby regulating competition in the passenger transport sector.
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