A SENATE select committee has suggested that all motor vehicle certifying examiners must be given a “unique” number for identification purposes.

“We are recommending that all driver’s licences should carry the certifying examiner’s number and the certificate of competence number, so that the process of licensing can become more transparent and illegality can be pinpointed at different stages of the licensing process,” said the committee in a report which is to be tabled.

The recommendations were included in a report from the Senate Select Committee which looked at a motion from one member, Imani Duncan-Price, seeking to have the government review the system of issuing driver’s licences.

“The current licensing system and licensing management is fraught with problems created by loopholes, or outright criminality,” the committee, consisting of senators from both sides of the House and chaired by Government senator Navel Clarke reported.

Consequently, the committee said, its investigations have revealed the issue is a matter to be looked at by the Cabinet.

Committee members said that, although the Government is in the process of making changes to the Road Traffic Act, to deal with some of the issues they discovered, there was need for additional measures in other areas of the system.

They said their investigations revealed a “thriving parallel system of obtaining driver’s licences, which has been developed to assist illiterate persons, but has been thriving”.

The committee recommended a mandatory refresher course for individuals at the time of the renewal of their licences. It also suggested that for illiterate persons, there should be a remedial learning mechanism to achieve functional literacy for the purpose of driving.

In addition, the committee said it had been given information of a major theft of motor vehicle certificates, titles, licence discs, and Teslin sheets, which are being used to fuel the parallel system “may now be extending into areas of organised crime”.