In the future, drivers may be allowed to show their driving licenses in a digital form and will not be punished if they fail to do so due to a failure of the government app, government officials told lawmakers yesterday.
The draft law for the Presentation of Driving-related Documents in Digital Form (the Bill) is now before the parliament’s First Standing Committee for analysis.
Government officials assured committee members that if the bill is passed by the parliament, future drivers will not be subject to prosecution if the government app is not working, be that due to regular maintenance, a malfunction or lack of network reception.
The digital version of the documents will supervene on the government’s Macao One Account app.
In contrast, if the failure to present the documents in digital form is caused by the driver’s own personal reason, such as a broken phone or lack of phone battery, the driver will be obliged to present the documents in physical form.
Meanwhile, although police officers will be authorized to verify data on the backend, they will only be allowed to do so according to due process, so as to ensure privacy.
The enactment of the law is expected this October, according to Ella Lei, president of the parliamentary committee.
