Botswana Government to provide computerised driver-testing vehicles
GOVERNMENT
| Jan. 30, 2015, 8:03 a.m.
By John Churu, Gaborone, Botswana
Since driver training and examinations contribute to the way in which road users conduct themselves, the government of Botswana has embarked on an innovative project to improve both diver training and examination processes.
The Minister of Transport and Communication, Tshenolo Mabeo, told delegates gathered to witness the groundbreaking ceremony for Botswana’s first computerised driver training facility that his ministry is making efforts to reduce road training by 50% by 2020.
“Let me take this opportunity to say that it is my Ministry’s intention, funds permiting, to roll out this project to other testing facilities that we have in the country,” said Mabeo.
The minister said the idea of the computerised driver testing cente comes from Korea and has been tried and tested in countries such as the Republic of Georgia. “Other countries such as Russia, China, and Malaysia have also adopted it and it is working.”
The project entails full computerisation of the testing ground which means all the disciplines in the yard test shall be conducted through the computer, the minister explained. “In the road test the testing will obviously change but has a component of computerisation as well. Therefore this means all the driver testing vehicles shall be provided by the government because they will be installed with gadgets that facilitate the testing.”
The minister said the products of this facility who would have acquired their driving licences would also serve as road safety ambassadors in Botswana.
Speaking at the same event, the Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport Onalenna Sechele said the systems automation will help in storing accurate and reliable data. “it will improve record keeping,” she hinted.
The construction of the state-of-the-art facility is expected to take 6 months and it will be ready for implementation during the second half of 2015.
