Government pilots expired licence renewal programme

A new plan to avail booking slots for expired driver’s licence card holders was unveiled by the Gauteng government on Thursday.

“The department, working with the Road Traffic Management Corporation, has issued holders of driving licences that expired in September, text messages advising them to book within seven days, to renew their driving licence cards,” Gauteng roads and transport department spokesperson Theo Nkonki said.

“It has also provided them with available booking slots at driving licence testing centres for January 2021.”

Nkonki also said that, as part of their new pilot project, five mobile units would be dispatched to different parts of the province to increase capacity of driving licence testing centres and avail more booking slots for the people of Gauteng.

“Furthermore, the department together with its entity, the Gautrain management agency, will introduce kiosks at eight Gautrain stations that will add more capacity in the system,” he said.

The mobile units and kiosks were expected to be fully operational from 1 February 2021.

The initiative reportedly formed part of the department’s vision of building smart driving licence testing centres to enhance service delivery and improve the experience of customers.

“The department is pleading with all driving licence holders to update their contact details on the online booking system at online.natis.gov.za and that all driving licence holders who have been granted an extension should book and renew timeously to avoid the congestion which is most likely to occur in August 2021,” Nkonki said.

Operating hours at six provincially managed driving licensing testing centres were extended to allow them to operate on weekends – Mabopane, Temba, Maponya mall, Kliptown, Xavier and Kagiso.

Meanwhile, transport MEC Jacob Mamabolo said they were opening a new chapter in the province with regards to the renewal of drivers’ licences.

“We understand the frustration that licence holders have had with the unavailability of booking slots,” he said, explaining that they were not saying licence holders mustn’t look for slots.

On the day of the launch of the pilot project, 2 880 slots had reportedly already been allocated.

Mamabolo further said that through their initiative, they had demonstrated through leveraging smart technology that they could improve their driving licence testing centres services to the people.

“I would like to appeal to holders of expired licences to not wait until the 11th hour to renew while those who are allocated slots should ensure they honour their appointments so that backlogs are a thing of the past in Gauteng,” Mamabolo said.