Quebec's automobile insurance board is launching a new online platform to allow drivers to perform certain transactions online, such as replacing their driver's licence and checking the validity of their permits.
The online portal is set to launch Feb. 20.
It's a large undertaking that the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) says will take several days to complete and require staff to "convert more than 10 billion pieces of data."
As a result, some services will be limited during the transition period between Jan. 26 to Feb 19, including making payments, so drivers are being asked to turn to online services or their financial institutions to complete the transactions.
"Today we are taking an important step! We are unveiling SAAQclic, a major project of which we are proud and which required several years of work by our teams. This transformation represents a major improvement in the SAAQ's service offering. Our customers will enjoy more autonomy and time savings and they will have access to simplified online transactions," said SAAQ chairperson and CEO Denis Marsolais in a news release on Thursday.
The SAAQ said drivers will be able to perform the following activities online once the portal is operational:
- View, cancel or replace a driver's licence
- Surrender a class of licence
- Check the validity of a licence
- Request additional time to submit a medical report
- Make a medical self-declaration
- Submit a medical report
Drivers should visit service centres only for "essential services" during the change, the SAAQ said.
Since its inception in 1978, the company has seen an 81 per cent growth in registered permits and 137 per cent growth in registered vehicles, but still uses the same technology for its service offering.
- With files from The Canadian Press
