Trident ID expansion set to begin this year

More than three years after the government launched the Trident Identification card, an expansion of the system is set to begin in 2026.

Minister of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology, Senator Jonathan Reid, explained it was not a relaunch of the cards, but an expansion of the ID system’s capacity.

“You want to have a safe, resilient infrastructure that allows people to access their responsibilities, their obligations, their assets, in a trusted and smooth manner, and that’s where all identification is. I think all the conversation and the fear around it is a little bit of misunderstanding,” Reid said.

He revealed that a public education campaign would be launched next year to sensitise Barbadians on the additional features of the Trident ID cards.

“We’re going to do some work to kind of demystify what we’ll be doing, which is onboarding lots of services next year.

“People will be able to smoothly go from one set of public and private engaged services without having the long wait lines, the long forms, filling out everything from scratch; that’s really the goal behind it, and it’s really as simple as that. So, by mid of next year we are really expecting to have rolled out,” Reid said.

The minister said the system is designed to allow seamless, secure access across services.

“You want to be able to go through one service to another service to another service very, very smoothly, very securely, not having to fill out multiple forms and wait in line and do all kinds of things that take long processes.

“So we want to be able to create an infrastructure that allows you to identify yourself as yourself, and someone else could trust that you are who you say you are,” Reid added.

Reid gave examples of some of the processes that could be simplified in about six months.

“For instance, to register a baby you have to physically go to the courts, then you take a card and then you have to physically go to national registration, then you have to physically go to other places.”

“The idea is how do we create a seamless infrastructure where persons have a one-stop shop using highly advanced platforms to be able to just make their life easier, so the intention is to join up as many services as possible to make it smooth for people to go through,” Reid explained.

“Whether it’s your driver’s license, your interaction with payment platforms, the idea is to give people the option and they will choose what they want to be able to use and what they don’t want to use.”

Reid gave the assurance that Barbadians would not be forced into signing onto the new features.

He maintained that it would be by choice only.

“There’s nothing that’s going to be forced on anybody. People have the option of whether they want to opt in or opt out.

“If they show a desire to wait in lines or use a manual process, they can absolutely do so, but if they choose to turn on functions and use things in a seamless way, it’ll be extraordinarily fast, extraordinarily safe, and extraordinarily resilient to be able to do so. So we just want to make people’s lives as easy as possible using technology,” Reid said.

The minister acknowledges public apprehension, describing it as natural when new systems are introduced.

“So it’s our duty to showcase the level of resilience, the level of safety regarding it,” he said.

The Trident ID card was originally introduced with enhanced security features. In May 2022, it was announced that the new card would provide greater physical security, be tamper-resistant, and be more durable than the existing card. It was also designed to reduce the possibility of counterfeiting.

In September 2023, then Minister Davidson Ishmael said the use of the Trident ID card by seniors for free travel on Transport Board buses was expected to end fraud and misuse of the old ID cards.

However, there was still widespread concern by Barbadians, who questioned the safety of the card.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) also addressed concerns about disenfranchisement, rejecting claims that citizens would be denied the right to vote if they do not possess a Trident ID card.

The statement clarified: “No eligible elector is denied a ballot solely for lack of an identification card. Once you have a national registration number, you are on the Register of Electors. On polling day, the presiding officer will ask for your identification card, but if it has not yet been issued, or it is lost or destroyed, you may still receive your ballot,” based on The Representation of The People Act Cap 12 and the Election Rules.

Reid reaffirmed the government’s position.

“What I have, I’m on public record as saying that there’s nothing that will be forced onto anyone. If you don’t want to utilise the services via an integrated digital platform, you can opt out,” he reiterated.