Every five years, a feeling of dread sets in when responsible South Africans have to go and renew their drivers’ licences.
It’s a daunting task that can make any person want to call in a sick day, but it has to be done.
News journalist, Natasha Pretorius, recently went to find out what you will need to make this process as smooth and effortless as possible.
There are a few things you need to have with you, the most important being your green ID book or smartcard ID, one ID photo and your bank card, as it will cost you R228 to renew your licence.
But that is not all!
We all know these administrative things take time, so be prepared – take a nice book or magazine with you. This will help pass the time and you can finally catch up on your reading list.
Then – take a bottle of water along. There is nothing worse than not expecting to be there for hours, being thirsty and not being able to leave the line to get some water.
I suggest taking your own pen. This way, you don’t have to wait or struggle to get things done quickly.
Since we don’t always remember to go on time and licences sometimes expire before we have an opportunity to get in line, there may be penalties to be paid.
If your licence has already expired, you’ll need to bring two ID photos and be prepared to pay an additional R72, for your temporary licence.
If you want to be pro-active, get your eye-test done before you go. You can obtain a certificate from any registered optometrist.
The wait to get to the front of the queue is usually very long, but when it is all done, it should only take one month for your new licence to be ready for collection.
Although camping out in front of the licensing department and queuing before sunrise were the way to go in the past, the NaTIS system has actually made it a bit easier. You can go to https://online.natis.gov.za/#/ and book a date and time; in other words, make an actual appointment and get faster service.
The Krugersdorp Licensing Department has decided that it is going fully electronic and will not be accepting cash any more. Wait, wait! This is not a bad thing, now you will never be short of cash and if something comes up and you have to pay that old fine, you can just swipe your card. Also, no one can tell you they don’t have change.
But if you like to kick it old school, bank guaranteed cheques are also still acceptable.
With the correct tools in hand, renewing your licence will be a breeze and you will be out of there for the next five years.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at krugersdorpnews@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
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