Customers planning to visit Kempton Park Licensing Office can expect delays and long queues as the office is experiencing a high volume of applicant visits.More and more customers are getting frustrated with the hours they spend at the office, especially when collecting their driver’s licences.
According to the metro the queues will not be getting shorter anytime soon.“We get about 3 000 driver’s licence cards a month and admin processes on these take time,” said Themba Gadebe, metro spokesperson.
The other concern is, although the department’s operating hours are until 3pm, that the gates close at noon and customers collecting their driver’s licence cards are not allowed onto the property.
This is disapproved of by community members who are unaware of the early closing times. A group of disgruntled community members who were denied entry onto the premises on May 10 forced their way in and demanded to be served.
The crowd found the doors at the centre were also closed with customers inside who seemingly arrived earlier.
“On that day, 1 022 different types of applications were done, which included issuing of driver’s and learner licences and exclude all roadworthy transactions,” explained Gadebe.
“Even though the gates were closed at noon, there were still about 150 applicants inside the centre’s rates hall who still had to be served by the time of closing. A total of 304 driver’s licences were issued on that day and the last transaction at this station was done at 4.21pm.”
According to the metro, there are notices displayed at every work station to inform applicants of this corrective measure to handle the high volume of applicants.
Seeing that the metro deems it necessary for the gates to close at noon, residents who wish to collect their driver’s licence cards are advised to arrive earlier.
