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South Africa’s deliberate new good card driving licence shall be launched in October 2023, with the prevailing card phased out over a five-year interval.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula confirmed this on Thursday in a briefing throughout which he supplied an replace on the Division of Transport (DoT) driving licence interventions.
Mbalula mentioned the brand new driving licence card can have superior security measures and meet worldwide requirements, which implies it may also be used in its place type of identification.
“We’re within the means of searching for Cupboard approval for the design of the brand new card this 12 months.
“This may then be adopted by a procurement course of that may allow us to pilot the cardboard and introduce the brand new card in October 2023.
“As soon as we begin issuing the brand new card, we’ll section out the present card over a five-year interval, which ought to permit the present playing cards to run out,” he mentioned.
Licence validity interval
Mbalula additionally confirmed that in taking a look at varied interventions to enhance the driving licence worth chain, the division can also be wanting on the validity interval of the driving licence card.
He referred to the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) questioning why the division didn’t prolong the validity interval of driving licences to 10 years.
Mbalula mentioned the Highway Visitors Administration Company (RTMC) has appointed a panel of researchers to look into the matter.
“Knowledgeable by the analysis, we’ll make the suitable dedication,” he mentioned.
The Vehicle Affiliation (AA) mentioned it’s a optimistic growth that the brand new driving licence playing cards with superior security measures shall be able to getting used as official identification.
Nevertheless, the AA mentioned that if the prevailing issues round making use of and issuing of playing cards aren’t resolved, the introduction of a brand new card – nevertheless superior – can have solved nothing.
“We due to this fact eagerly await the introduction of latest on-line procedures, that are slated to return into pressure on February 17, as a means of dealing extra successfully with the procedures round driving licence card renewals,” it mentioned.
The AA welcomed Mbalula’s announcement that analysis is being performed into extending the validity interval of driving licence playing cards from its present five-year interval.
“The AA has urged authorities to increase the validity interval of driving licences from 5 to 10 years as a means of dealing extra successfully with renewals,” it mentioned.
Mbalula mentioned the manufacturing of the present driving licence playing cards resumed on January 20 when the broken part that induced the breakdown within the machine on November 7 2021 was fastened.
This breakdown occurred because of an influence surge brought on by flooding from the adjoining constructing, he mentioned.
Learn:
Mbalula mentioned that as at February 1, the backlog of renewal purposes awaiting the printing of playing cards was at 597 492.
Catching up
He mentioned the Driving Licence Card Account (DLCA) has within the two weeks because the manufacturing course of resumed produced 128 436 driving licence playing cards.
Mbalula mentioned “day and evening manufacturing is happening” to provide 100 000 playing cards per week or 400 000 a month.
“The backlog of the playing cards at the moment within the system shall be cleared by April 2022,” he mentioned.
Nevertheless, Mbalula mentioned the entire backlog of driving licences that may have expired by March 31 2022 which have but to be renewed totals 2.1 million nationwide.
Of this complete, 70% or 1.5 million fall throughout the Covid-19 extension interval, he mentioned.
Gauteng accounts for the very best variety of licences not but renewed at 744 710, which represents 35% of the nationwide complete.
Mbalula mentioned that with an estimated manufacturing capability of 400 000 playing cards monthly, the DLCA estimates the two.1 million backlog shall be cleared by September 2022.
He mentioned the division is happy that between the DLCA, the RTMC and the help of the unique gear producer, there may be enough technical capability to keep up the gear for the foreseeable future.
Nevertheless, the driving licence card machine gear shall be present process its annual preventative upkeep from March 17 to 31.
Mbalula expressed concern concerning the underutilisation of Driving Licence Check Centres (DLTCs) in gentle of the backlog of expired driving licences that should be renewed.
He mentioned slots on the RTMC-managed DLTCs that have been opened at Waterfall Park in Midrand and Eco Park in Centurion, and which function throughout weekends, are severely underutilised.
“Presently these two DLTCs solely have a utilisation charge of 35% – and solely 53 motorists renewed licences this previous weekend from the out there capability of 150 motorists who may be assisted per day.
“We encourage all these whose licences have expired to resume their licences and never look ahead to the final minute,” he mentioned.
Mbalula mentioned the DoT shall be participating with the provinces to discover additional incentives and improvements that shall be rolled out in the end.
He mentioned these embrace:
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The roll-out of the RTMC DLTC mannequin in all provinces.
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The introduction of versatile working hours at DLTCs.
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A chance of exempting some classes of motorists from the quantity payable for non permanent driving licences.
“As soon as we’ve got finalised these consultations, we’ll make the required pronouncements,” he mentioned.
Mbalula highlighted that the Nationwide Highway Visitors laws present a brief reprieve for motorists who’ve utilized for renewal of their playing cards to proceed utilizing the expired card for a interval not exceeding three months.
Nevertheless, Mbalula harassed that is conditional on the motorist having of their possession each the expired driving licence and the proof of renewal – and the applying should have been made earlier than the expiry of the cardboard.
Mbalula added that these whose driving licence playing cards expired between March 2020 26 and August 31 2021, the grace interval, are deemed to be legitimate till March 31 2022.
However Mbalula harassed that these motorists whose licences expired after August 31 2021 are required to use for a brief driving licence as a result of the grace interval doesn’t cowl them.
Learn: Mbalula extends driving licence renewal interval, says system is ‘a mess’
Extension past March 31 ‘could be prudent’ – AA
The AA mentioned it’s inspired that the driving licence manufacturing machine is once more operational and efforts are underway to clear the large backlogs.
Nevertheless, the AA mentioned it stays involved concerning the capability of the renewal system to service the two.1 million motorists who should renew their licences earlier than the top of March 2022 and believes extra time is required to resolve the present backlogs.
“Given the big challenges of renewing driving licences, and within the context of the present backlogs, we consider an extension to the grace interval past March 31 could be prudent,” it mentioned.
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