Drive to Digital: Abtran Transforming Driver Licensing
Abtran and the Road Safety Authority Centralising and Digitising Ireland’s Driver Licence Service
Since 2012, Abtran has played a critical role in transforming the Driver Licence Service by centralising operations, streamlining application processing, and delivering exceptional service to over 3.5 million licence holders nationwide.
40%
Reduction in overall cost of processing for the RSA
50%
of all applications now processed without human intervention
99+%
Online applications processed within 5 day turnaround
Services Provided
- Multichannel Contact Centre
- Application Processing and Digital Mailroom
- Identity and Entitlement Validation
- Document Authentication
- Court Case and Disqualification Management
- Technology Design, Build and Operation
- Data Protection and Security Compliance
In 2012, Abtran was awarded the contract to deliver the Central Licence Processing Unit (CLPU) as part of a national programme to modernise and improve the Driver Licence Service in Ireland. This complex implementation required consolidating the functions of 31 local authorities into a single, efficient, centralised service.
Abtran designed, built and continues to operate the full technology infrastructure underpinning the CLPU. The solution includes a Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform, a fully integrated digital mailroom, and a high-performing back-office processing centre, alongside a multi-channel contact centre that supports English and Irish language services.
Today, Abtran manages services for approximately 3.5 million learner permit and driving license holders across the country. With over 400,000 customer contacts annually and more than 750,000 licence applications processed each year, the team delivers a secure and efficient service at scale. Notably, over 99 percent of licences are issued within five days of receiving an application.
A key component of this transformation has been automation. More than 50 percent of all applications are now processed without any human intervention, and 60 percent of applications are completed online. This has significantly reduced the overall cost of processing for the RSA while enhancing service quality.
The scope of Abtran’s work includes:
- Multi-channel customer service across phone, email, webchat, social media, and whitemail
- Secure document processing and identity validation
- Management of court order disqualifications and related legal documentation
- End-to-end document authentication and entitlement verification
- Court case management linked to driving offences
The service is delivered in compliance with internationally recognised standards, accreditations including ISO 9001, ISO 27001, ISO 14001, PCI DSS, and BSI 10012.
This long-term partnership with the RSA demonstrates Abtran’s ability to deliver national-scale, high-volume, regulated public services with reliability, agility and innovation. Through a combination of strong governance, digital transformation and operational excellence, Abtran has helped reimagine how government services are delivered to the public.
