J Radebe to launch electronic National Traffic Information System, 17
Apr

Moving from NaTIS to eNaTIS

5 April 2007

The Department of Transport has earmarked the National Traffic Information
System (NaTIS) as a key resource to provide effective Road Traffic Management.
The current National Traffic Information System (NaTIS) is a vital resource
that administers R3 billion rand per annum and is used at more than 1 753 sites
throughout the nine provinces performing 40 000 transactions per hour.

What are the NaTIS and the eNaTIS?

The NaTIS is the national register and asset that stores, records, manages
and enforces the requirements of the National Road Traffic Act (NRTA) and the
National Road Traffic Regulations (NRTR).

It provides for the registration and licensing of vehicles. It manages and
records applications for and authorisations of drivers' and learners' licences.
It is a law enforcement tool which is used to ensure that the details of
vehicles that are stolen are circulated and to prevent irregular and fraudulent
re-registration of such vehicles. It serves as a register for recording the
decisions of safety as provided by the South African Bureau of Standards
(SABS). This process, where the SABS is linked to the NaTIS, ensures that only
vehicles that meet our country's stringent safety standards are allowed to be
registered in this country.

Why change from the NaTIS to the eNaTIS?

The current NaTIS is 14 years old and has severe technical limitations in
terms of the Department of Transport's strategic plan. The age and the
technological limitations of the NaTIS have forced the Department of Transport
to embark on a project to replace the current technology with more advanced
technology.

What are the benefits of the eNaTIS?

The eNaTIS utilises state-of-the-art technology that will be compatible with
a variety of anticipated systems enhancements. For example, the Department
wants to improve the system to cater for enhanced law enforcement capabilities,
specialised transactions designed to limit physical visits by members of the
public to traffic departments, i.e. transactions done over the internet and by
the use of automated teller machines (ATMs). The system will also allow for the
introduction of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences
(AARTO) system and online registration of vehicles by financial institutions.
The system will also provide a new module that will manage driving licence, and
learner's licence bookings on an online real-time basis.

As a strategic resource for the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC)
and Road Traffic Infringement Agencies (RTIAs) the eNaTIS will ensure that all
infringements are centralised within the eNaTIS data base to provide improved
service with regard to the payment of traffic fines, etc. The web-based
capability of the eNaTIS will ensure that key elements of Batho Pele (people
first) are addressed. Road-traffic-related services can be made available on
wider platforms such as automated teller machines (ATMs) and the Internet.

On inception the eNaTIS will have new functionality that was not part of the
current NaTIS. The new driving licence booking system will validate examiners,
testing centres and appointments, and prevent unscrupulous officials from
abusing the system by extorting money from the public in order to obtain
driving licence appointments. Furthermore, the eNaTIS will now have
functionality to control all face-value documents and future enhancements will
also incorporate strict electronic tagging of documents to eradicate the
continuous falsification of vehicle licences, registration certificates and
driving licence cards.

How will the public be affected?

The Department of Transport considered all possible scenarios in the
planning of the eNaTIS launch. Of critical importance was that service delivery
should not be affected and that every effort should be made not to
inconvenience the South African public. The Department, in the build-up to the
launch of the eNaTIS, met with various role-players such as vehicle
manufacturers, importers and builders of vehicles, operators of vehicle testing
stations and provincial representatives responsible for registering authorities
and driving licence testing centres. In this regard information was provided on
the enhancements that the eNaTIS will provide for their core business and also
how the launch of the eNaTIS will occur.

In addition the Department met with representatives of the Banking Council
of South Africa and the short-term insurance industry, briefing them on the
forthcoming eNaTIS. In this regard the Department provided a platform where
industry concerns could be raised. This may result in future enhancements to
the eNaTIS to address such concerns.

All nine provincial departments of transport and their agents were briefed
on the system and business implications of the eNaTIS. These parties in turn
informed local role-players such as motor dealers of the forthcoming eNaTIS. As
part of the build-up to the eNaTIS all the above-mentioned role-players were
exposed, either in part or totally, to the eNaTIS functionality by means of
user acceptance testing and system dry runs.

In December 2006 the provinces participated in a small-scale dry run of the
eNaTIS functionality. In this regard the public, motor dealers and financial
institutions got their first glimpse of the eNaTIS. On 12 March 2007 the eNaTIS
functionality was tested countrywide when the eNaTIS had its first national dry
run. All the afore-mentioned testing was geared towards a system readiness
test, as part of systems planning. In addition, daily dry runs were executed
and training provided by provincial departments to ensure eNaTIS readiness on
the part of important role-players such as private vehicle testing
stations.

The eNaTIS website, http://www.enatis.com, provides detailed
information on the eNaTIS and its system launch dates. The Department would
however, like to inform the public at large of the eNaTIS schedule.

The following dates and terms are important in understanding the rollout of
the eNaTIS:

Data extraction day, 5 April 2007: This is the day on which the NaTIS is
shut down and the data is copied out and couriered to Midrand, where the eNaTIS
data centre is located. Once all the data is copied off the NaTIS, the system
will be restarted and will only be available for enquiries.

Changeover period, 6 April 2007 to 12 April 2007: This is the period during
which the NaTIS data is loaded onto the eNaTIS and system readiness is tested.
This period may last for a few days.

eDate, 13 April 2007: This is the date on which the eNaTIS is commissioned
and goes live. (Take note although the system will become available on the 13th
it will operate in a test phase)

eNaTIS Launch Date: The Minister of Transport will officially launch the
eNaTIS system on 17 April 2007.

The planned launch of the eNaTIS will take place over Easter weekend, when
registering authorities and driving licence testing centres will be closed. It
is anticipated that road-traffic-related services will be unavailable for two
days only.

For enquiries, contacts:
Ntau Letebele
Cell: 082 932 9194
Sam Monareng
083 326 1521

Issued by: Department of Transport
5 April 2007
Source: SAPA

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