New licencing centre excites Atteridgeville motorists
The state of the art smart licencing testing centre launched in Atteridgeville is the first pilot among many other centres to be launched in the province.
A new smart licensing testing centre was launched in Atteridgeville on Wednesday, March 20.
The Gauteng department of roads and transport (GDRT) together with the Gautrain Management Agency introduced this state of the art facility to make licensing services easy and accessible to residents in the area.
According to head of the department, Thulani Madane, the centre is their first pilot among many other centres that MEC for transport and logistics Kedibone Diale-Tlabela is going to roll out in the province.
Madane highlighted that it is an integrated service centre that provides one-stop services to residents so they can access services closer to home.
“Residents will come for different services and this will make their lives easier because it will reduce travel costs in terms of money and time,” he said.
In her speech, Diale-Tlabela said the GDRT is taking significant steps to address the needs of underserved communities, particularly in townships, informal settlements and hostels.
She confirmed that expanding access to government services such as licensing services in these communities aligns with the vision of inclusive growth and economic recovery.
“Offering services like other testing centres across South Africa highlights a commitment to improving public service delivery and increasing capacity to meet the demands of license renewals and related services,” she said.
Diale-Tlabela added that the centre provides full online and cashless services as part of the provincial government’s commitment to exploring new technologies and process optimisation.
“It is estimated that the licence renewal service will take approximately 10 minutes, implying that more people will be serviced in the most efficient way possible,” she said.
Residents will only be able to go to the centre with an appointment, and a law enforcer will become the centre manager while they are there.
This comes as an effort from the department to stop “runners” who demand payments for booking slots on behalf of residents.
“It took us three months to do all the planning and execution, and we are happy that we could implement and achieve it within the costs,” said Diale-Tlabela.
She added that they will be going to all the different townships as identified by Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi.
Rekord caught up with Atteridgeville motorists to find out how they feel about the department’s initiative. The consensus among them is the belief that this is a necessary move for the area.
“This is a great move, we desperately need it. It’s such a long and frustrating process when you have to book for your licence renewal or even your child’s learners test, sometimes you can wait three to six months at centres close to you,” said resident Khopotso Seopela.
Seopela said she has had to travel far distances for access from Atteridgeville to the traffic departments in Winternest, Akasia, Centurion and Mamelodi.
“This is a great move, I’m so excited, I cannot wait to book my son in for his learners which is coming up now and to learn that the services are just around the corner is a relief. I’m sure thousands of other people around in these informal settlements will also be appreciative of this. I must warn those employees that they are going to be very busy before the doors open, we will be queuing.”
Another Atteridgeville motorist, Clive Nkgadima, hoped that the new centre will inspire local youth in the area to ensure their paperwork is up to date and that they adhere to the rules of the road.
“I think it will benefit the community of Atteridgeville a lot and help to also encourage the youth to take that first in applying for their licences without hesitation and it will also be helpful to the nearby townships. So it is a great initiative and the community can only benefit a lot from the services offered,” Nkgadima said.
Watch here:
Cutting-edge technology meets efficient service at the Atteridgeville Smart Licensing Centre. Get ready to experience a smarter way of licensing! Siyathokoza @GPDRT_ #SmartLicensingCenter#GrowingGautengTogether pic.twitter.com/Hqkc3MrvG3
— Sands (@SANDS_NTULI) March 20, 2024
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
