(Trinidad Guardian) The Licensing Division is moving to implement new drivers’ permits (DPs) by month’s end.
The initiative is aimed at stopping false drivers’ licenses from being produced by fraudsters and which are now widely used by Venezuelans and T&T nationals. It is unknown how many of these fake DPs are in the hands of non-nationals.
However, Transport Commissioner Clive Clarke, in a face-to-face interview on Thursday with Guardian Media at the Ministry of Works and Transport headquarters in Port-of-Spain, confirmed that some of the holders of fraudulent permits are Venezuelans while some bogus licenses have been engaging the attention of the T&T Police Service.
Speaking in the presence of Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan, Clarke said one way of stopping the forged permits being used was by issuing new permits with security features and hidden markings by the end of this year and recalling the over 700,000 valid permits in the coming months.
Clarke made it clear that the fake permits were being replicated by individuals outside the ambit of their offices.
Since his appointment in March 2020, Clarke said Licensing Division has picked up a number of false permits containing names, addresses and dates of births of legitimate drivers, while the photograph bears the image of someone else.
False permits tend to carry the same numbers as legitimate permits.
“We have seen an upsurge in duplicate numbers where persons are having false driver’s permits being created on the outside. In order for that to look as close as possible to our records, they are basically using what we call our number range. But that is in no way on our records,” Clarke said.
Pressed on how many fake permits they have been picked up under his tenure, Clarke said roughly 700.
The Licensing Division has over 700,000 registered drivers on its database.
In January, Clarke said they will introduce an online provisional system using codes for every service transaction. This system will pave the way for the renewal of permits and vehicle transfers online.
“By the end of December, a new driver’s permit will be out. That permit itself provides us with the data set and the environment to commence that online renewal. Because we are changing the design of the permit, you will have the opportunity to upload your picture onto the permit.”
Following this process, the applicant, Clarke said, would have to visit a licensing office to verify their documents.
Collection of the renewal will have to be made at a TTConnect site or a Licensing Office with the old DP being surrendered.
“What would happen there…a number of persons would not be able to submit that (their expired permits and documents) because they are walking around bogus permits right now,” Clarke said.
Without divulging too much, Clarke boasted that the new permits will be embedded with enhanced security features and markings aimed at preventing duplication. The special markings will be detected by law enforcement officers using handheld devices.
If a permit does not have these markings it will be deemed fraudulent.
He said the new permits will also have “what we call ghost pictures.” A ghost image is a smaller version of an original photo on a card and is usually printed in a semi-transparent form.
Clarke said the design for the new permits has already been completed.
“They are being printed and tested,” Clarke revealed.
He said only drivers with renewal appointments will be issued new permits beginning at the end of December.
A recall of unexpired permits will follow.
