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People waiting in a long queue.
Photo by Frennie Shivambu
• According to the Department of Transportation, DLTCs will dedicate 70% of their capacity to the renewal of the driver’s license.
• The new directive is an offer to help the accumulated load of expired driver’s licenses.
• For more racing stories, go to Wheels24.
Gauteng motorists have been struggling for months and have had a difficult time booking appointments online to renew driver’s licenses or book new license appointments for more than four months. Now, it appears that the government has heeded the desperate calls and decided to take action.
According to a press release from the Department of Transportation, the Gauteng Driver’s License Test Centers (DLTC) will dedicate 70% of their capacity to driver’s license renewals from Monday (November 16) to address the current delays.
Wheels24 readers have flooded our mailboxes with distressed letters of their experiences and problems with not being able to book appointments. Many readers have logged into the eNatis online system at random times or during the day and night, as suggested by the RTMC, in an unsuccessful attempt to reserve a space.
We have also posted numerous letters from the public, especially from seniors, who have been forced to stand in endless lines for hours, only to be told to come back the following week. This after the RTMC also announced that citizens over 60 do not need an online appointment and will be seen only on Wednesdays.
Motorists line up in front of the Department of Licensing and Testing.
Gauteng Road Infrastructure and Public Transport MEC Jacob Mamabolo said: “Working together with all stakeholders, the province will ensure that 70% of all available space for DLTCs is dedicated exclusively to processing the renovation of driver’s license daily.
“We have also made the decision that the available capacity in the DLTCs, such as equipment, machinery and personnel, will be dedicated to addressing the delay in driver license renewals.”
However, it will come as no surprise that motorists have doubts about this new development. In an attempt to implement this new directive, Mamabolo said on Wednesday (November 11) that DLTC managers who undermine this new instruction will face possible suspension. It also remains to be seen how the latter will be implemented.
A Provincial Management Operations Center will be established to monitor DLTC activities on a daily basis to ensure that decisions made at the meeting are implemented, according to the statement.
“There will also be a team dedicated to maintaining and servicing the equipment and machinery that are used to process driver license renewals on a regular basis,” Mamabolo said as well.
Eliminate corruption
In December, the department also said it would begin a forensic investigation into allegations of corruption, bribery and collusion allegedly taking place at DLTCs across the province. Many of our Wheels24 readers have explained how DLTC officials have offered them spaces for appointments if they had to pay a certain amount of money.
“While the current Covid-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the backlog of driver license renewals, it has also exposed the fact that over the years, DLTCs have not functioned optimally.” Mamabolo said.
He said the capacity of the centers had not been increased to meet the demand and pressure from the growing population.
“However, we are confident that with the decisions we have made, we will be able to fix the delays.”
Mamabolo added that the department would pilot the use of mobile units, in partnership with the Road Traffic Management Corporation, to increase facility capacity and better serve communities.
“We are aware of the frustration that driver license holders are experiencing who want to renew their cards. We are taking extraordinary measures to address the backlog,” Mamabolo said.
We have contacted the RTMC to inquire about the processes for drivers 60 and older on Wednesdays, and if the license centers will now be open seven days a week. We will update the information as soon as we receive a response.
