20,000 biometric driving licenses already registered in four months

Many rush to be registered before the deadline fixed on 29 November 2016

Since 5 July 2016, the Ministry of Public Security has launched a campaign for changing the traditional driving license into a biometric one. “20,000 persons using the new biometric driving license have already registered out of 290, 000 people registered for the old driving license since 1937,” says Alfred Innocent Museremu the traffic regulation police officer.

This 20 October, several people have queued at the offices of the traffic police looking for the new driving license. “The deadline is set on 29 November. Everybody is rushing to register as soon as possible to avoid infractions. The driving license is only obtained within 48hours”, he says.

“We have opened 10 offices to easily welcome 500 persons a day”, says Museremu. However, people met on the ground say the requirements of the new biometric driving license take at least a week. “The police should decentralize services throughout the country”, says one driver.

Alfred Museremu says that it is impossible to decentralize the services because the archive storage and computers used to make the driving licenses are only installed in Bujumbura the capital. “New biometric driving license seekers have no choice but to come to Bujumbura to get it”, he says.

This 20 October, the national assembly speaker along with his first deputy has come to register. They have appreciated the achievements already made by the traffic regulation police in the process of renewing the local driving license.

The cost of the new biometric driving license is BIF 100,000 while the old one cost BIF 40,000.