“Anarchy” at driver’s licence testing centres — but renewal deadline stays

Despite recent widespread disruptions at driver’s licence testing centres (DLTCs), transport minister Fikile Mbalula says that his department remains on track to clear a backlog of expired driver’s licence renewals by the end of March.
No further extensions would be forthcoming for motorists whose licences expire, or who had been given grace to renew their licences by the end of the month.
During the past week, driving school operators have protested against the Road Traffic Management Corporation’s new online renewal platform, which prevents them from securing booking slots on behalf of their customers.
The disgruntled operators have blocked roads and forced the closure of several DLTCs across Gauteng, demanding that conventional walk-ins be reinstated.
Speaking during a visit to the Akasia DLTC in Pretoria, Mbalula came out strongly against some of the protesters.
He stated that DLTC workers had been intimidated and taunted by protesters carrying weapons, including AK-47s.
He accused the protesters of “anarchy” and “lawlessness” and said he would be speaking to the minister of police to help dismantle the situation at DLTCs.
Mbalula said the MEC for transport in Gauteng was set to meet with driving school operators on Monday afternoon to hear their concerns and chart a path forward.
Regardless of the outcome, the minister said the MEC would issue a directive that all DLTCs must be opened from Tuesday.
While Mbalula said that the government must consider any genuine concerns raised by driving schools, he also said it was clear why they were unhappy about the new system.
“If I used to get money out of the system and now the way it is designed it is pinching my pocket, I would protest,” Mbalula stated.
However, he emphasised that the new system is for the benefit of motorists.
Mbalula said he was very concerned about the safety of DLTC workers, who had been threatened and attacked at gunpoint.
“Our primary objective is to make driver’s licence acquiring for motorists very simple and accessible,” Mbalula said.
Online system up and running
Mbalula also labelled claims that the online system was not functional as “disingenuous”.
“In the 16 days since the online system went live, a total of 3,641 transactions were successfully processed with a monetary value of R2,128,751,” the minister stated.
“Gauteng accounts for the highest number of transactions at 1,827, followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 558 and Western Cape 459 transactions,” he added.
According to the minister, these figures illustrated that the system worked well.
He reiterated that the grace period for the renewal of driver’s licences would not be extended further, as he had now dealt with the grievances of motorists.
“We remain on track to clear the renewal backlog. As of 25 February 2022, we had produced 401,131 driving licence cards. The backlog, which only relates to those who have lodged renewal applications, currently stands at 534,807,” Mbalula said.
“We are increasing capacity, so the backlog is not going to be an issue.”