The Cabinet has given a green light to the rollout of the second-generation smart driving licenses in a bid to modernise the country's transport system.

According to a cabinet dispatch released on Monday, December 15, the licenses will be rolled out through a public-private partnership (PPP).

The new licenses will integrate smart licenses with an instant fine system, mobile license wallet, and driver merit and demerit points, according to the cabinet.

 According to the cabinet, the new licenses will be fundamental in modernizing the country's licensing system, as well as enhancing road safety.

"Through innovative financing, Cabinet approved the rollout of Second-Generation Smart Driving Licences under a public–private partnership, integrating smart licences with an instant fines system, mobile licence wallet and driver merit and demerit points to enhance road safety and modernise licensing," the dispatch read. 

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The second-generation driving license is an embedded chip-based card that is designed to store the driver's data, history, and enable digital payments and storage of records.

The cards are designed to improve enforcement management, featuring enhanced security, an electronic wallet, and access through mobile apps.

The announcement comes a month after the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) said that it will enforce a mandatory retest of drivers who were flagged by the Intelligent Road Safety Management System (IRSMS), which would lead to some losing their licenses.

The IRSMS is a digital platform that monitors vehicles, including PSVs and commercial fleets, to enforce road rules.

The system monitors vehicle speed, driver conduct, braking habits and route adherence, then issues real-time alerts whenever violations such as speeding or reckless overtaking are detected.

In a statement on Sunday, November 16, NTSA director general Angela Wanjira said that the retest of the drivers will be vital to prevent road accidents during the festive season.  

Since the system also analyses violations and generates alerts for those who breach safety standards, the drivers can be targeted by the NTSA for retraining to improve overall road safety.