Licensing services still delayed

Delays and errors in issuing driver’s licence renewals at the Mbombela Licensing Department have been a continued thorn in the side of residents since November 2017.

According to City of Mbombela Local Municipality (CMLM) spokesman, Joseph Ngala, the main reason for the delays and processing issues stem from the implementation of a new system which was commissioned by the National Department of Transport and the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RMTC).

According to information released by Neil Diamond, municipal manager of CMLM, the relatively new system has proved to be a hindrance to service delivery.

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In February Lowvelder carried a report in which a number of residents recounted their experiences of trying to have their licences renewed, with some having to wait more than a month for the process to be completed.

Now more than two months later the situation remains the same, with residents experiencing issues specifically with eye tests and the taking of fingerprints.

“We can indicate that we continue to have challenges that are beyond our control when the system collapses nationally. We can, however, report that there have been improvements in the number of clients we have processed lately,” said Ngala.

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Due to the continued issues experienced at the Nelspruit Licensing Office, many residents have tried their luck at other local licensing offices, with Barberton and White River among the favourites and, according to residents, the most efficient.

“It is worth noting that our centres have had an influx of clients coming from out of town from other municipalities, as this is a national system,” said Ngala who added that this added influx constitutes about 30 per cent of the total number of applications processed monthly.

According to DA councillor, Tersia Marshall, a member of the Public Safety Committee who has been working closely with residents in an attempt to address this persistent issue, there seem to be improvements in the operation of the system.

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“I recently applied for my motorcycle licence and in my case experienced no hiccups or issues,” said Marshall, who, however, added that she is aware of continued delays in the issuing of driver’s licence renewals.

According to Diamond, CMLM acknowledges residents’ frustration.

“The City also suspects technical faults with the system, as it has had more citizens failing eye tests which ordinarily would be passed with ease across all ages,” read a statement issued by him.

“The City of Mbombela remains committed to improving its service to citizens, hence the elevation of this challenge to both province and national. The City, however, apologises for the inconvenience caused by the migration to a new system.”