Motorists have until the end of August to renew their expired vehicle discs and driving licences, the Automobile Association (AA) warned. Government has stated they will not allow further extensions which is expected to place further strain on motorists who have been waiting until the last minute to renew these documents.
The final deadline is August 31, 2021 and the first extension covers the time period from 26 March to 31 May 2021 and covers the following documents which expired during that time:
– Vehicle licence discs
– Temporary permits
– Roadworthy certificates
The second extension covers the period 26 March 2020 to 31 December 2020 and covers the following documents which expired during that time:
– Learner’s licences
– Driver’s licences
– Professional Driving Permits
In a statement, the AA says it is not entirely the motorists’ fault. While it is still up to them to renew the documents, the government also needs to fix the renewal system. Motorists fail dismally at trying to renew their documents because of the system, rather than absconding from doing so.
“Government acknowledges that there are problems at the Driving Licence Testing Centres (DLTCs) which renew these documents. Yet, despite this, no further extensions will be considered, meaning people are at the mercy of a broken system. These problems persist and will continue to persist until the government takes a bold decision to replace – not repair or revamp – the current IT systems along with increased human resources at DTLCs,” said the AA.
Excessively long queues created by reduced staff at DLTCs, who often work with limited resources, are factors affecting efficiency too.
“We have received many emails and calls from the public complaining that computers, printers and eye machines are not working at the DLTCs. Reduced staff numbers make the situation worse. In Gauteng the inability of many to access booking slots via the online booking system exacerbates their frustration,” said the AA.
“We have said time and again that the current operations of the DLTCs need to be expanded, that the private sector must be roped in to assist, and that all current systems across the country must be replaced. Failure to implement even one of these recommendations will result in continued poor service delivery to the motoring public,” it concluded.
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