Why can’t vehicle registration be renewed online?

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I arrived at the Constant Spring tax office at 6:05 a.m. on Monday, May 4 to renew my vehicle registration. At that hour, there were already 30 persons ahead of me. Persons related horror stories of spending up to five hours in the line to perform a five-minute transaction.

So the question is: Why are the police able to run your plates and get a full description of your licence, registration, fitness, and insurance, and you are unable to pay your registration online?

It does not require a lot of additional infrastructure. In the same way we can pay for fitness online, and insurance, we should be able to pay vehicle registration. A current insurance certificate and fitness are required for the registration. Each fitness and insurance certificate has a number that could be submitted in the process, and you are only allowed to pay if they are current.

Once paid, a bar code receipt could be provided and it could be printed or kept on your phone like a boarding pass. You may then get the physical disc in the mail.

Once implemented, this would save thousands of production hours as persons would not need to take a day to do a five-minute transaction. This would also further the Government’s desire for everyone to operate online where possible.

Dr Rory Dixon

Senior Medical Officer

Sir John Golding

Rehabilitation Centre