October 19, 2021
By: Audrey John
The Minister of Transport and Aviation Kabineh Kallon has at the launch of the new biometric driver’s license said that when the idea of regulating and monitoring road transportation was conceived in 1996, policy and lawmakers envisioned a transport agency that would regulate the transport sector through licensing of vehicles and drivers.
He said the mandate of the agency has expanded to include broader road safety responsibility in line with global imperatives and benchmarks of the United Nations Decade of Action
The Minister defined road safety as security for all road users inclusive of drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists. He stressed the point about road worthiness beyond the human factor for road safety and security.
The Minister spoke on the President Bio’s zero fatality and reduction in injuries policy as a result of road accident and crashes
“In that vein, my ministry seeks to actualize that vision and policy goal in fulfillment of supervisory role in road, sea and air transportation,” Minister Kabineh Kallon stated.
He added that he is therefore heartened by the fact that the SLRSA is simultaneously launching the Biometric licenses in tandem with Auto Parts Freetown in a public private partnership with an ultra-modern garage, training school and authentic spare part sales shop.
The Minister stated that the benefit of the initiative in terms of a securitized biometric data that captures the identity of the driver and keeping a treasure trove for planning and implementation.
The Minister said as from the day of the launch the issuance of the new drivers license started and the minister entreated all to try and replace their old license.
Adding her voice to the deliberation Director of License Asanatu Judith Mansaray provided historic insight into the license process when it was under the purview of the Inspector General of Police based on Act of Parliament of1996. She said transfer of function took place in 1998 and government printing was responsible for the production of documents. She however spoke about the issue of counterfeit and insecurity, the then management decided to have a new license that cannot be photocopied.
She said the current hologram type of vehicle license was contracted to German company that registered as a patent, restricting other companies from printing it.
Assanatu Mansaray disclosed that malpractices from unscrupulous people warranted the contracting of a company called to provide the plastic pack and embed security seal in it, which has been in use until now.
She attributed the new development of introducing the biometric license to good leadership of the SLRSA Executive Director Ibrahim Sannoh to put to an end the continuous malpractices.
She confidently asserted that the card cannot be tampered with because of many security features in chip of the laser engraving, hologram, nanotex, among other things.
According to Assanatu Mansaray they had to embark on a study tour in Nigeria to learn the transition process from the current license to the biometric.