Come collect your number plates, NTSA tells motor vehicle owners
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) is urging motor vehicle owners who have received text message alerts on the collection of the new-generation number plates to avail themselves at their respective centres.
In a notice issued on Wednesday, NTSA said that the drivers should visit the specific centres they identified during the application process.
The service update comes days after the authority adjusted its operating hours from 7.30 am to 6 pm on weekdays from the previous 8 am to 5 pm schedule.
The changes came following a directive by Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to clear the backlog in the printing of driving licences, logbooks, and digital number plates within two weeks.
CS Murkomen’s visited NTSA headquarters after numerous complaints by Kenyans over the slow processing of driving licences, logbooks, and new digital number plates.
According to the CS, the licence printing machine has barely functioned this year, leading to a backlog of half a million unprinted driving licences.
Mr Murkomen also acknowledged that the absence of digital systems has made it impossible for customers to know where and when to collect their number plates.
“I have given NTSA two weeks to clear this backlog, notify Kenyans of their nearest collection points, and put in place the necessary mechanisms to speed up the turnaround time for processing and issuance of DLs, logbooks, and digital number plates,” he said then.
The CS further gave the institution and the printing company seven days to send a full report on the reason for the delays and measures they had taken to resolve the issues.
This is because some of the applications were submitted over one year ago and are yet to be processed despite their time limit being 14 working days.
Murkomen vowed to ensure that Kenyans receive their documents in due time, failure to which the officers involved will be held accountable.
“I will spare no effort in dismantling existing cartels who are perpetuating corruption in these institutions and pushing the Agencies, within my Ministry, who are responsible for dispensing critical services to Kenyans to do so professionally, transparently, and expeditiously,” he said.
The CS promised to hold the senior management of NTSA personally responsible and accountable for any further delay.