The demand for vehicle registration and driving licenses has shown a manifold increase during the summer vacation, Lt. Col. Salman Al-Jumay'i, head of the Licenses Section in Jeddah Traffic Department, has said. “The demand has gone up by more than 300 percent,” he said. Vehicle registrations and driving licenses, the official said, are renewed on the spot through a computerized system and that the whole operation is electronically inter-connected. He said the summer and vacations are peak seasons for Jeddah Traffic Department as it witnesses an increase in the number of applications for licenses, new vehicles and new number plates. The License Section, he said, is electronically linked to the Sadad program, as all fees for driving licenses and vehicles registration are paid directly via the Saudi banks network. Authorities register vehicles, through agencies and receive number plates and vehicle registration (Istimara) directly from the agencies, around the clock, which speeds up the process and facilitates the service, he added. Col. Al-Jumay'i said vehicle insurance has also been linked with the computer system. The Motor Vehicle Periodic Inspection (MVPI) program has also been linked with the Traffic Department computer system, which results in relevant information appearing electronically, the official said. The suspension-file system has been canceled for all applicants, whether they are renewing vehicle registration, driving licenses or getting new number plates, he added. All the transactions in the Driving License Section have also become computerized, he added, and number plates are now made by the Traffic General Administration, via the Internet. Col. Al-Jumay'i also said the Licenses Section has allocated a special unit for eyesight testing, which stops the need to visit a health center, unless it was absolutely necessary. There are two driving schools in Jeddah and a third will be opened soon, he said. Six license offices are functioning in the city and there are plans to open more branches soon. The main licenses section in Jeddah accomplished 10,000 transactions last month for registration of new vehicles and issuance of their number plates, he noted. This year, more than 25,000 vehicle registrations were renewed and 1,200 were issued to replace the lost ones. Ownership of 30,000 vehicles was transferred, 800 cars were exported to other countries, 1,350 vehicles dismantled, 6,000 new driving licenses were issued and 9,900 licenses were renewed, he said. On cheating and forgery usually associated with the vehicle documents, Col. Al-Jumay'i said there is no room for foul play because the Licenses Section is now fully automated. This also helps citizens and expatriates getting their documents within minutes. Distinctive plate numbers are auctioned to the motorists every Saturday, he said. Last month, 67 such number plates were sold at a total cost of SR220,300. Last week's auction fetched SR33,200 for 13 plates, he said. Communication between the Licenses Section in Jeddah and authorities in Riyadh regarding the motorists' requests, which had been carried out through official correspondence on paper, is now being carried out electronically, Col. Al
