National Traffic Information System [ eNaTIS / NaTIS] and Road Safety

Background Information

The National Department of Transport has earmarked strategic state resources to improve the existing transport infrastructures of South Africa. In terms of Road Traffic Management, the current National Traffic Information System (NaTIS) is a vital State resource towards achieving the continuous improvement of transport infrastructure management.
 
What is NaTIS?

The NaTIS is the national register and asset that stores, records, manages and enforces the requirements of the National Road Traffic Act (NRTA) and the National Road Traffic Regulations (NRTR). It provides for the registration and licensing of vehicles. It manages and records applications for and authorizations of driving and learner’s licenses. It is a law enforcement tool which is used to ensure that the details of vehicles that are stolen are circulated and to prevent irregular and fraudulent re-registration of such vehicles. It serves as a register for recording the decisions of safety as provided by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). This process, where the SABS is linked to the NaTIS, ensures that only vehicles that meet our country’s stringent safety standards are allowed to be registered in this country. 

NaTIS is seen “as a key resource to provide effective road traffic management”. It is used at more than 1 753 sites throughout the country to register, deregister and check the ownership of vehicles. It performs about 40 000 transactions per hour with a turnover of R3 billion per annum.

Why change from the NaTIS to the eNaTIS?

The NaTIS is 14 years old and has severe technical limitations in terms of the State’s national strategic plan. The age and the technological limitations of the NaTIS have forced the National Department of Transport to switch to more advanced technology.

ENaTIS utilises state-of-the-art technology compatible with a variety of anticipated systems enhancements. This includes specialised transactions designed to limit visits by the public to traffic departments, by allowing transactions over the Internet and via automated teller machines. The system will also allow for the introduction of the administrative adjudication of road traffic offences system and online registration of vehicles by financial institutions.

What are the benefits of the eNaTIS?

• The eNaTIS utilises more up-to-date technology that will be compatible with a variety of anticipated systems enhancements. For example, the State wants to improve law enforcement capabilities and the eNaTIS will enable the use of a portable law enforcement terminal which is hand-held and battery-operated. 
• This terminal will provide real-time information on fraudulent driving or vehicle licenses.
• As a strategic resource for the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and Road Traffic Infringement Agencies (RTIAs) the eNaTIS will ensure that all infringements are centralised within the eNaTIS data base to provide improved service with regard to the payment of traffic fines, etc.
• The eNaTIS will also be a means to record and read fingerprints (a future enhancement made possible by the technology), thereby also combating identity fraud.  
• The web-based capability of the eNaTIS will ensure that the key elements of Batho Pele (people first) are addressed. Road-traffic-related services can be made available on wider platforms such as automated teller machines (ATMs) and the Internet.
• On inception the eNaTIS will already have new functionality that was not part of the NaTIS. The new driving license booking system will validate examiners, testing centres and appointments, and prevent unscrupulous officials from abusing the system by extorting money from the public in order to obtain driving license appointments.
• Furthermore, the eNaTIS will now have functionality to control all face-value documents and future enhancements will also incorporate strict electronic tagging of documents to eradicate the continuous falsification of vehicle licenses, registration certificates and driving license cards.

The website www.enatis.com is the official web site of the South African National Traffic Information System and provides detailed information on the eNaTIS. The system is used amongst others as the official register of licensed vehicles and drivers in South Africa. Although registration as a user on this web site is optional, some content is only visible and accessible after successful login as a user. 

Click here to visit eNaTIS

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