Motorcycle drivers residing in the capital are compelled to digital licence issuance within a month as the Addis Abeba Traffic Management Agency (AATMA) began the procedure a fortnight ago.

The IDs are infused with distinct QR codes that retrieve data streamlining continuous tracking and security access control, allowing the agency to have surveillance of drivers into a single database.

According to Bahiru Birhanu, head of the communication directorate at the Agency, the project aims to reduce traffic accidents and illicit activities of drivers by digitising the system and integrating vehicle and driver data.

Motors will be identified by their plate numbers, models, accident histories, GPS devices, penalties and merit records while police officers are able to identify and track drivers by scanning their licenses using their smartphones.

“The devices will be connected to the main database," said Bahiru.

The Digital ID was deployed in 2022 by the Agency, run under Tizita Gebremedhin. Over 546 motor drivers have received the IDs through their own associations. Officials hope to reach all 5,000 motorcycle drivers under the association by the end of the month with a 1,000 Br penalty for the ones coming after that.

"Riding without the digital license will be forbidden," he said.

A report published by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in September 2022 indicated that the rise in state surveillance should be complemented by the expansion of digital IDs and smart city projects.

Three years ago, the Agency made the instalment of GPS platforms mandatory on every motor vehicle to track motorcycle drivers' activities and over 14 companies began installing GPS devices. It allowed installers to access real-time information on vehicles' locations, routes, and speeds.

According to Bahiru, the tracking device proved ineffective when most drivers began pulling out and stashing the devices while others who installed them avoided turning them on. "We couldn't do a proper control," Bahiru said.

Over 10,000 motor vehicles are estimated to reside in the capital. The use of privately owned motorcycles was impeded from the residential areas to main roads, where passengers would then take taxis or buses but have steadily increased over the years. The current state entails that motorcycle services are now found on main roads, and even in the city centres.

There are five motorcycle associations in the capital, having an aggregate of 5,000 drivers under their fleet. Nifas Silk Lafto Motorcycle Owners Association has 250 motorcycle drivers of which 68 drivers have taken the licences.

Taris Hailu, president of the association believes that the new system will pave the way to legalize the use of motorcycles and have a better way of monitoring activities. However, he raised his concerns on the proper enforcement where many policies had proved ineffective.

"Proper execution is necessary for this to work in the long run," he said.