Barbadians no longer have to wait in long lines to renew their driver’s licence as the process was launched Wednesday on the Government’s newly revamped online payment platform.
After making online payments to renew their licence, drivers can also have it delivered to their homes through the Barbados Postal Service (BPS) for a fee, also payable online, or arrange to collect it.
As she launched the service, Minister of Innovation Science and Smart Technology Senator Kay McConney said 120,000 Barbadians are expected to benefit from logging on to EZ Pay+ at www.ezpay.gov.bb and choose from the driver’s licence renewal option.
“Three ways to pay, two ways to get your licence, one way to renew with ease,” she declared.
Citizens who sign up on EZ Pay+ have the option of making payments from their bank account or credit card.
But the process of authorizing debits from their bank accounts, still involves a visit to the local bank for a downloadable form to be stamped. A photo or scan of the stamped form, together with an electronic copy of the customer’s identification must then be emailed to the Minister of Innovation Science and Smart Technology.
The online platform also allows for payment of Land Tax, corporate registration fees and subscription to the Barbados Gazette, the Government’s official newspaper.
Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams said the Postal Service was pleased to provide the services of delivering renewed licences to customers who make the request.
For a non-refundable fee of $16, motorists can have their licences delivered on the BPS Post Express courier service. They must exchange their expired licence for the new one.
Abrahams said the partnership with the Barbados Licensing Authority is aimed at meeting the needs of Barbadians who have been complaining for a long time about having to stand in long lines to renew and collect licenses.
The home affairs minister said: “Those days are coming to an end, and this is but the first step. Imagine now a situation where you renew your licence online, you pay for it online, and that licence is delivered to you by the Barbados Postal Service the very next day. A safe, efficient transaction and you don’t even have to leave home which is a bonus in these COVID times.”
Senator McConney noted that since coming to office in May 2018, Government has been driving to advance the modernization of transformation of the public service, which she said will be a long challenging road that is worth taking.
She said: “The good news Barbados is that our journey to modernize the public service has begun. We are undaunted by the distance and committed to the task. In pushing for a more modern and efficient government, the aim is to make transactions easier for Barbadians and for people doing business with the government generally. It is about you, making it easy, affordable, safe and efficient, our mission in your interest.
“Where possible, the Government is seeking to use the modern tools of technology available to us, as such, we are pushing for the delivery of more reliable government services online so you could do business with the government from a physical distance, from any distance. The experience of COVID-19 has certainly reinforced the urgency for us to do so as a priority.”
Senator McConney said more information will be made available to the public through public service announcements via her Ministry, the Government Information Service (GIS), and the media.
“There are other government services coming online, but until then Barbados, get onboard and let’s future-proof this country,” McConney said.
(anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb)
