eNatis adds functionality

By Leon Engelbrecht, ITWeb senior writer

Johannesburg, 08 Feb 2008

The Tasima Consortium has started to add new functionalities to the electronic National Traffic Information System (eNatis). It also reports 100% uptime in January, despite Eskom's erratic power supply.

Spokesman Phillip van der Merwe says Phase 1 of a new contraventions register, which will be a key component in the points demerit system, is ready for implementation. An eNatis-linked licence test appointment booking system has been implemented in two provinces "and is running smoothly".

"We're at an advanced stage of implementing system enhancements that will make it possible for the public to pay certain fees, for example, those applicable to vehicle licence renewals, online."

A new module has been introduced to control "face-value documents" such as registration certificates, temporary driving licences and learner's licences. "This module makes it possible to eliminate fraud committed through the theft of such documents," Van der Merwe explains.

"The module has been launched in the Free State and early indications are that it is extremely successful."

Uptime

Commenting on Eskom power outages, Van der Merwe says uptime during business hours remains at 100%. "The eNatis national data centre is equipped with a comprehensive emergency power infrastructure and, as such, the system is not affected at all by Eskom's load-shedding activities or any other power cuts for that matter, although many individual service centres experienced power outages due to load-shedding."

eNatis project manager Werner Koekemoer says volumes in January were quite brisk. "As a result of renewals, driving licence card transactions rose by more than 70% during January," he says. "System performance remained outstanding and the transaction increase has had no detrimental effects on overall efficiency."

Driving licence card transactions peaked on 29 January, when 13 050 were recorded - the highest number for a single day since eNatis was activated last Easter. In total, 13 190 971 transactions were recorded last month, a month-on-month increase of 26.02% compared to December 2007, when 10 467 175 transactions were recorded.

At last count eNatis has cost taxpayers R408 million, up from R311 million budgeted in 2001 when Tasima won the bid to design, develop and install the system. Its five-year contract was supposed to expire at the end of May, but was extended to allow for a "smooth handover" to the RTMC.

Transport Minister Jeff Radebe in May last year described eNatis as "one of the most advanced traffic management systems in the world". He said similar systems were found in Europe and in the US, "but none have the sophistication of the eNatis in respect of road transport management capability".

Tasima groups together two black empowerment firms and Face Technologies, part of troubled state IT company arivia.kom.