The NTSA is a body charged with the mandate of managing the transport sector in Kenya while at the same time ensuring a reduction in the number of lives lost due to road carnage. The body has been keen on inculcating technology in its activities in a bid to improve efficiency. The body has been keen to use technology in its activities, which informed the decision to launch TIMS.
TIMS refers to the Transport Integrated Management System, a project being undertaken by Chinese firm Huawei and Copy Cat Limited. Once completed, a web portal that incorporates all functions of registration, licencing, inspection and enforcement of all motor vehicles and trailers will be launched. The NTSA plans to use TIMS to centralise road transport data and make this data available for public use. In addition, the portal will offer intelligent traffic management by allowing tracking and monitoring of PSVs.
For instance, owners of public transport vehicles will have the ability to schedule the inspection for their vehicles in advance. To minimise revenue leakages, payments will be made via mobile money as is with the eCitizen platform. Upon printing the receipt, one will walk into an inspection zone and the inspection will be done against a checklist also available online.
Motor vehicles dealers will also be required to abide by the same rules, where they will register the vehicles on the NTSA website including the number plate. The physical procedures will be limited to the collection of logbooks. The process will also be taken online and will last 10 minutes. According to local paper Business Daily, NTSA plans to go live on January 1st 2017 with the project as far as logbooks are concerned. Each party involved in the transaction (both the buyer and seller) will be required to register on TIMS and issue their full details including KRA PINs. The system will then link to KRA and automatically update these details. Once completed the new owner will then collect the logbook from their desired location.
