The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Please print this open letter to the Road Traffic Department:

Dear Road Traffic Department,

I have but a few thoughts regarding my experiences at your fine place of operation today.

First of all, how is it that, in the year 2012, these license discs still have to be handwritten. It is a system that is so archaic and past its shelf-life. Seriously, little by little, almost every system in the world is going digital. This handwritten system needs to be abolished. Imagine if you will for a moment a simple computerised process:

1. A driver pulls up and has their car inspected;

2. This individual hands over the previous disc to an officer;

3. The said officer keys in the information into a computerised system;

4. This individual then walks to a second area, where their new fees have been calculated and receives a print out of the new disc.

5. The individual then takes the printout to a cashier to pay and have their disc stamped.

6. The individual walks away with all of their business complete.

Seriously, how difficult is this to institute? Understandably it may take a while to get everything implemented, but does this not lead to a much smoother and simpler process for the everyday citizen?

Wait, It costs too much, you say? I’m sorry, but my licensing and inspection fees cost too much. I drive a compact car, which costs $195 to license. This fee has risen every year since I have had a vehicle. When I first licensed the same car three years ago, my fee was $125 or so. Last year it was $160. This year it is now $195. To think, if only those increased fees were used for something more beneficial, like improving this forsaken system currently in place. Why exactly have these fees increased? What is so different about my same vehicle between now and three years ago? Also, as I pay more for this licensing, I seem to get worse and worse service. Anyway, on to the next issue.

So, as if the system itself wasn’t bad enough, it lends itself to such abuse and “side” money. For instance, I arrived at the Road Traffic office on West Bay Street (next to Xavier’s) at approximately 12:40. I met a line of maybe 15 to 20 persons ahead of me at the time of my arrival, so naturally I understood that there would be some wait involved. Never in my life did I anticipate not being finished until after 3:00pm. So, why did this take so long you ask? Well, it seems as though if you know someone at the office, or are willing to pay “a lil something” your time becomes infinitely more valuable than mine. Case in point, there was a lady in front of me and a lady behind me when I first arrived at the place. Within 20 minutes or so, they had both found themselves a more expedient route off the line. This does not even take into account the people at the office who were clearly taking documents from friends or those willing to pony up a little extra thus further neglecting the patient others who were willing to wait. Imagine the additional money into government hands if they implemented a VIP service. Since some people are so willing to pay for a shorter wait, let it be documented and go into something that may actually benefit the majority, rather than the minority.

Oh, but there is more. Beyond the issues of clear impropriety and deceitful tactics, there was the idea that the time of a business is also more valuable than mine. An example you ask? Well, there was the gentleman in the Asa H Pritchard uniform that not only skipped the line, but somehow got multiple vehicles re-licensed and multiple new plates. The explanation when asked by the increasingly aggravated persons waiting? The lady writing up slips says, “Oh, the boss sent him in here and told me to get him straight.”

Oh really? Is this a standard procedure? If so, let me provide a simple solution, create a secondary window or area for businesses or company vehicles that exists outside of the processing area of the general public.

Otherwise, the businesses can spend their time in line like everyone else.

Before I go any further, I must say, the task of writing up these slips, while repetitive and mundane, is not rocket science. Vehicles are clearly separated into various groupings, thus making the license fees automatic.

The sign is on the door, I don’t need anyone to calculate that my bill was going to be $195. So while I understand that it is not the best or most entertaining job in the world, please stop purporting it to be this tremendously difficult task.

Continuing, beyond all of these issues, what was particularly dumbfounding, was the attitudes of the said individuals writing up the discs. As if the taking money under the table by some was not bad enough, the self-righteous attitudes about how we don’t know how difficult their job is was too much to bear. See paragraph above. Seriously, you sit down all day and write up discs, I get it’s a mundane job, but don’t tell me how difficult it is.

Also, don’t give me attitude about how, “dese people should know better, it’s the end of the month.” Pardon me, your system is outdated, corrupt and easily exploited. Some of your staff, of what I saw today, has disgusting and unfriendly attitudes, even going so far as threatening a citizen.

While I admit that some of the citizens waiting in line got very vexed and became a tad antagonistic in their “discussions” with some of the staff, I can find little fault in our shared annoyance and infuriation. If you had to wait for three hours, standing up to get something as simple as a disc written up and paid for, you would be upset too. You would be further exasperated by the fact that impatient and disingenuous individuals jumped the line, and were aided in their acts via payment to the staff. My advice, if you don’t want people yelling at you, do things the right way.

Finally, some of you may say, well we should know better than to license our vehicles at the end of the month. I’m sorry, like an older, wiser gentleman said while on the line, “The functionality of your system is not tested when there are two people on the line, it is tested right now.” Simply, if the Government of The Bahamas was running a more modernised and regulated system, this would not be a problem. Seriously, the government wants to make more money off vehicle licensing, here is a solution: automate the system. In the long run, it is a much more satisfactory system than the one currently in place.

ALEXIS BURROWS

Nassau,

November 30, 2012