Renewal of public driving permits a headache
The licensing service is a highly regulated service. Almost 90 per cent of our functions/procedures are prescribed in the National Road Traffic Act. Therefore, an application for a professional driver permit in this instance is conducted in terms of Regulation 118 of the NRTA
Lebo Tlhagale writes:
I wish to bring to light that the Benoni Traffic Department refuses to assist applicants who come to their offices for renewal of public driving permits (PDP) who did fingerprints at the Benoni Police Station.
These people pay R30 at the police station and have their fingerprints taken there and are made to wait for six to eight weeks for the results.
They collect their results at the police station and go to the traffic department to issue their licences. When they get there, they are refused assistance.
They are told to pay more money and redo fingerprints and wait again for the results.
Driving without a PDP results in traffic fines or not working while waiting for the results.
The officials at the traffic department are a law unto themselves and are denying poor drivers an opportunity to work for their families and earn a living by refusing to assist them.
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Editor’s note:
Themba Gadebe, spokesperson of the Ekurhuleni metro, said: “The licensing service is a highly regulated service. Almost 90 per cent of our functions/procedures are prescribed in the National Road Traffic Act. Therefore, an application for a professional driver permit in this instance is conducted in terms of Regulation 118 of the NRTA, wherein:
1. The applicant of the PRDP shall apply in person at a driving licence testing centre (DLTC).
2. The centre concerned shall make sure that all requirements stipulated in regulations 117 and 118 are adhered to,
3. Once this has been established, applicants have an option of applying for fingerprints verification on the LEU machines, which are done at a cost at the centre and the turnaround/lead time on this option is five working days, or
4. The DLTC shall refer the applicant to the nearest police station to have fingerprints taken. This is prescribed in the Act, upon which the results shall be considered to determine if a person qualifies or disqualified to have a PRDP (this takes about four to six weeks at the police station).
“The centre strongly advises applicants to consider the first option due to the reduced lead time. However, should the applicant consider option two, by all means they are allowed to, but they have to first come to the centre to be evaluated (eye test and be referred to a doctor for a medical certificate) before being given a referral letter to be taken to the police.
“Ours is to adhere to the law, not to become a law unto ourselves. Members of the public can the contact the centre management if they have queries/complains in this regard.”
