Some relief for motorists in terms of licence renewals

In early June, the Road Traffic Management Corporation announced that “All learner’s licences, driver’s licences, motor vehicle licence discs, temporary permits, roadworthy certificates and professional driving permits that expired during the period that commenced from March 26 to May 31, are deemed valid and their validity period is further extended with 90 days from June 1 to August 31”.

The AA launched a petition for the extension of the validity period to January 2021. “This would also, according to the AA, assist driving licence testing centres (DLTC) to deal with the backlogs caused by the lockdown regulations.”

The decision to extend to the end of November has been confirmed by the department.

“The extension to the end of November is a great start, and we certainly welcome this move by the Department of Transport. It’s the correct decision and indicates that the department is aware of the problems motorists are facing. However, we still believe this does not provide enough time to deal with the backlogs and we will continue with our petition which seeks extension until at least the end of January next year,” said Willem Groenewald, CEO of the AA.

The AA also stated that as of this morning its petition to #ExtendTheLicence has garnered more than 20 500 signatures.

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“We applaud the department for taking a pragmatic approach to this issue, and for acknowledging problems at the DLTCs. Now that we have reached this point, we think it is vital to press ahead with our call for a further extension; the interests of the motorists must be protected and we cannot stop until we have reached our goal of an extension to at least the end of January 2021,” said Groenewald.

He noted that the support for the campaign has been overwhelming. He said it was significant that so many people signed the petition and that this sends a clear message that motorists want to do the right thing to remain legitimately and legally on the road.

“Our experience is that the majority of drivers in South Africa prefer to remain compliant with the regulations, and to be on the road legally. Despite the system being problematic, drivers take the necessary steps to ensure they remain within the law. However, given the current constraints on the system, many are faced with the real possibility that they may not be able to do this.”

Groenewald also noted that driver’s inability to renew licence discs and driving cards – should they be involved in an accident, may face repudiated claims from insurers.

“Our proposed extension date also makes provision for the closure of DLTCs over the festive period, and for further potential closures as a result of Covid-19,” Groenewald said.

In support of the minister resolving the problems, the AA has offered its national network of agents to assist drivers to renew their licences. The association said the minister should consider allowing third-party agents – such as the AA – to perform vehicle disc and driving licence card renewal services which are currently only offered through the DLTCs and the post office.

The AA’s online petition is available here.

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