Implementing meaningful changes at the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing (DVDL) is expected to refine driving-test and vehicle-inspection procedures, and enhance revenue collection.

As part of Project Future’s ambition to achieve better outcomes and encourage public service innovation, plans to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of drivers’ licensing services and vehicle licensing procedures have been drawn up by the Ministry of Planning, Lands, Agriculture, Housing & Infrastructure (PLAHI).

Strategic Assessments for these services tested a large range of options against their ability to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Government operations, and to increase customer satisfaction.

The report concludes that these objectives could be achieved by a programme of internal improvements to the existing services and the enhancement of current programmes with the external stake holders, including private sector operators.

      The department, in coming months, will commence implementation of the options that were identified and accepted by Cabinet. This should result in significant improvement in the delivery of services at all DVDL offices throughout Grand Cayman. These improvements will include:

1. Increasing the hours of operation of the Driving Examination Unit for driving and written test examinations in November 2016;
2. Work in collaboration with Government’s Computer Services Department to implement on-line booking of driving tests;
3. Better communication with customers on the services offered by the department;
4. Extending the role of the private sector by training more private garages to conduct vehicle inspections on behalf of DVDL. (The current number of garages is 13, and this is to be increased to 20).
5. Enhancing collection of outstanding revenue though the Electronic Vehicle Registration system, and monthly reminders of past due vehicle and driver’s licenses.
6. Opening the new Breakers Licensing Office in October 2016. This will duplicate the services offered at the Crewe Road DVDL office, except for driving tests. The hours of operations are Tuesdays to Fridays 10am to 6pm, and Saturdays 9am to 4pm. The office is closed on Sundays, Mondays and public holidays.
7. Continue the working relationship with the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service to reduce the number of unlicensed vehicle and drivers on the roads. This helps to boost licensing revenues and support road safety priorities by ensuring the roadworthiness of vehicles.

Minister for Planning, Lands, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure, Hon. Kurt Tibbetts, said, “By helping the department to function smarter and more efficiently, these changes should vastly improve the experience of the DVDL customer, the agency’s staff and other stakeholders.”

Mr. Tibbetts added, “In particular, the public will find it easier to access our services, waiting times should drop, and – to facilitate all of this – there will be vastly strengthened lines of communication between the agency and its clients.”

The Ministry’s Chief Officer, Alan Jones, acknowledged the hard work of the staff who had worked on the Strategic Assessment, as well as the Policy Officers in his Ministry, who provided oversight and support.

“For many staff, Project Future has introduced a new way of working. It has indeed been challenging, but we are using the strategic assessment process as a tool to challenge our thinking, and to really evaluate the quality and efficiency of our work. This process has enabled my team to evaluate all of the options,” Mr. Jones explained.

The Strategic Assessments are available for public viewing on www.plahi.gov.ky.

Notes

1. Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing refers to the following services:

• The conduction of driving testing/examination and licensing, through theory examinations and practical tests in accordance with the Traffic Law, the Traffic Regulations and the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic.
• The inspection of vehicles in collaboration with approved private garages (PGRs);
• The licensing of roadworthy vehicles in accordance with the requirements of the Traffic Law, 2011 and associated Regulations;
• The provision of student-driver education through theory and practical driver education classes for students at public schools; and
• Conducting safety spot checks for vehicle roadworthiness at the request of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service.

2. Project Future is the five-year programme of Public Sector reform launched by the Premier and Deputy Governor in November 2015. An update on the overall programme is available at: https://projectfuturecayman.com/
3. The full Strategic Assessment for the DVDL project can be found here: www.plahi.gov.ky and www.projectfuturecayman.com
4. Project Future is utilizing a best-practice approach to managing what is a wide-ranging and complex programme of change. Strategic Assessments, the first stage in that process, establish the objectives for the project ,identify the case for change and test a long list of options in order to create a short-list to progress on, to more detailed analysis in an Outline Business Case.

IMAGE: http://blog.dcag.ca/2015/03/used-car-buyers-guide-1-inspections-reconditioning-2/