Good Day,

I would like to share an idea that I believe can lead to an increase in efficiency of the current drivers license issuance process, as well as potentially earn extra revenue for the transport department and the postal service.

Being a technologist all of my life, I have the belief that efficient application of technology can enable streamlined processes leading to greater productivity. One such application of the technology can be toward the license issuance (renewal) system.

The Problem:

Currently when a driver's license is issued (for the first time or renewal), the system involves first paying a fee for the license, then taking a receipt to the relevant department to have the license printed. The first step of this process can be done at a number of locations including the Warrens, Oistins and Holetown. However, the second part needs to be done in the Pine location and this often leads to long wait times, which can lead in significant time off work for some individuals, contributing to the overall decrease in national productivity. It can also lead to instances where persons have not had an up to date license printed in a number of years.

The solution:

To address this problem, an electronic system ,where orders are entered as licenses are paid, can be implemented and utilised. These order are sent to a central repository from which batch printing is to be done and the printed licenses sent via local post to individuals (by same or next day delivery). Individuals will be given a temporary receipt, that will be used as proof of renewal should the individual be required to provide. A nominal processing fee will be charged to the individual when he makes the payment to renew and from this fee, portions can go toward the transport department and the Postal service.

Requirements:

1. Connectivity between departments. With the wide availability of network and communications services, this should not be a difficult requirement to meet. This connectivity can be achieved over a standard internet connection , or a direct connection that leverages the Government WAN service which has been provided by one of the local telecom operator.
2. Centralised system. The system to hold orders and queue them for processing. If no such system exists, it can be developed on island as there is the skill set needed for this. In lieu of a fully automated  system however, a manual process can be employed, where new orders are extracted periodically and sent electronically to the printing department for processing.
3. The printed cards are picked up or sent to the postal department and a local "courier like" service delivers the cards to the address provided.

Benefits:

1. Reduced time spent waiting to have licenses printed. This will lead to less time off work or more time to complete other tasks. This is also a step to streamlining Government operations as such processes can be applied to other areas (health care for e.g).
2. With the nominal fee, this will earn extra revenue for both the postal service and the transport department that can go toward supporting their respective operations. This is a model similar to one employed by the US embassy in issuance of Visas, and there is currently no opt out option.

Conclusion:

This system would be a simple application of technology, but can go a long way to improving a tedious and largely archaic process. I believe that we currently have a great deal of local technical talent, and that such project can provide a place for many of them to hone their skills. I speak of the government WAN because I worked on significant parts of the implementation and design (of the voice service) and I am also familiar with system designs. Should this project be seen as worthwhile to be pursued, I would be happy to share any input.

 Best Regards,

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Jamal Moore, M.S.