Asking Kenya’s over 1.5 million vehicle owners to spend between Sh25,000 and Sh30,000 to instal the devices will imply a financial burden of around Sh37 billion being spent by consumers, assuming everyone who currently owns a vehicle does not already have a GPS device installed on their car will invest in one at market prices.
Leaving out the monthly costs of maintaining such systems, the ensuing financial burden on consumers will be considerable.
Security-wise, given the leaks that are already occurring with the mobile owners database following a mandatory registration exercise led by the government this year, vehicle-owners would require firm assurance that their information would remain secure. One can only imagine the havoc that would ensue if the data - including a vehicle’s physical position at any given time - were to fall into the wrong hands?
The government is justifying its planned roll out of the system as part of its drive to implement more e-government initiatives. The Transport ministry hopes to set up a centralised electronic data base to house car particulars such as ownership, compliance with traffic rules, and the number of times a vehicle has changed hands.
Analysts say this goal could just as easily be achieved by introducing a secure electronic database, since much of this data input will be static. Digitising the driver’s licence would also achieve the same goal, as an offender’s past offences, insurance information and car ownership details would all be stored on a single card, just as is done in more advanced economies like the United States.
In addition, the State could deploy speed traps and instal smart cameras along our roads , which would transmit vehicle data once their drivers commit an offence.
At best, the directive is ill-timed, coming as it does at a time when motorists have to contend with rising fuel and parking fees.
At its worst, the move can be viewed as an attempt to create a police state as it will entitle the security forces to access information on the whereabouts of any citizen at will.
Such directives are reminiscent of the roadside declarations favoured by leaders in the past, and need to be supported by adequate legislation before they see the light of day.
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Quelle/Source: Business Daily Africa, 03.12.2010
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