The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has announced that motorists can now collect their driving licences in under two minutes, promising faster service as Kenyans continue to raise concerns over delays in receiving licence cards and number plates.
In a statement issued on Thursday, October 8, the authority said the initiative was part of efforts to improve customer service and reduce the time motorists spend queuing at its offices.
NTSA urged motorists seeking to collect their driving licences to visit their nearest authority office, saying the new arrangement would make the process quicker and more convenient.
“Happy Customer Week, at NTSA we have transformed service delivery. Visit and collect your driving licence in under two minutes. No more queues at NTSA,” the authority said.
NTSA Seeks to End Long Queues
The announcement marks an effort to address complaints about lengthy queues and delays in the processing and issuance of driving licences.
Some applicants have previously reported waiting for two to three months after completing biometric registration and making payments without receiving their smart driving licence cards.
The delays have been attributed to a backlog of applications and pressure on the authority’s production capacity, affecting the timely issuance of both driving licences and number plates.
However, NTSA’s latest announcement focuses on the collection process. It does not necessarily mean that motorists awaiting licences that have not yet been processed will receive them within two minutes.
NTSA Considers Private-Sector Involvement
The authority has also been exploring changes to the production of driving licences and number plates, including involving private-sector investors to improve efficiency and address persistent delays.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV in June, NTSA Director General Nashon Kondiwa said private-sector participation could help improve the production and issuance of the documents.
Kondiwa questioned the government’s direct involvement in the production and sale of number plates, arguing that the service could be provided through licensed private companies, as is the case in several other countries.
“I do not think a government, or any government institution, should be trading in number plates, which is what has been happening in Kenya since independence,” Kondiwa said.
The latest announcement comes amid continued public concern over the time taken to obtain driving licence cards and number plates, with motorists hoping the authority’s service improvements will translate into faster and more reliable access to the documents.
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