In December, I had the misfortune of going to the municipal traffic offices in Loskop Road to renew my car licence. When I arrived at the premises at 10.30am,

I noticed the long queue was spilling out of the front door by about 20 people, so I returned at 1pm and I patiently stood in the slowly moving queue for approximately 40 minutes.

When I eventually got to the teller, she shoved a green form at me and told me to fill it in. I noticed there were no pens available, nor a level surface to put the form on to write on it. Thank you to the kind gentleman who lent me his pen. I returned to the teller with the completed form, only to be told that I had to go to the back of the queue again, and wait my turn.

When I again eventually got to the teller, she noticed there was a section that I had not filled in, so I had to go to the back of the queue again…
I left the traffic office at 3pm with my new car licence, feeling very angry and abused. Thanks goodness, this painful duty happens once a year. Why is there only ONE teller on duty at this at this busy time?

Could it not be arranged that a pile of green forms be put on a table at the entrance door to be available for the customers to fill in while standing in the queue? Be warned, I noticed many people being turned away because they had not brought their proof of residence. Now I know why the queues are so long: almost every customer has to stand in the queue two or three times!

I’m sure I am not the only poor customer who has had this unhappy experience.

We are all sick and tired of the bad service and incompetence that is thrown at us by government and municipal services. The rot starts at the top.

A Very Battered Citizen