Issues with the country’s only machine for printing driver’s licence cards has left motorists needing to renew their licence in the lurch and resulted in renewed calls for the driver’s licence validity period to be extended.

The Witness reports that Department of Transport spokesperson Collen Msibi confirmed that the machine has encountered issues and is undergoing maintenance and repair.

“The department is exploring various interim solutions to sustain the operations of the current machine, given its age,” he says.

Temporary licenses are now being issued to facilitate those who have been affected, Msibi adds.

A Pietermaritzburg resident, who asked not to be named out of fear of victimisation, says he is frustrated by the delay in getting his licence renewed.

He said it will result in him incurring additional expenses and having to take time off work to get a temporary licence.

An expired driver’s licence card remains valid for three months from the expiration date, if a renewal application was made before the expiry date.

If the licence holder possesses the expired card and proof of payment, then they will not be penalised.

The resident said he is approaching the end of that three-month validity period and will now have no other choice but to take time off work, wait in line and apply for a temporary licence, which will make the entire process of getting his license renewed costly.

The resident explains that, in addition to the fee for a temporary licence, he would need to pay for an eye test to apply for a temporary licence too, as the one he did for his licence renewal has since expired.

Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse’s (Outa) CEO Wayne Duvenage says the breakdown of South Africa’s only driver’s licence card printing machine vindicates Outa’s continued advocacy for extending the validity period of the driver’s licence card from five to 10 years.

“This move would alleviate administrative burdens, reduce backlogs and lower costs for both motorists and the government,” Duvenage says.

“Research we undertook in 2022 shows that many countries have already extended the validity period of their driver’s licence cards to 10 years or more without compromising road safety.”

He says Outa met with the then Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula, to present their report, but the extension of driver’s licence validity was never implemented.

Duvenage says the machine’s breakdown will cause significant delays in the issuing of new and renewed licences. “We believe the Department of Transport cannot continue to avoid this issue.”

Duvenage says Outa has written to Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy about its concerns and is awaiting a response.

Msibi did not provide a timeframe on when the machine would be repaired.

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