Gauteng’s Department of Roads and Transport will be introducing new measures to address the current backlog at all Driver Testing and Licensing Centres (DLTCs).
The Member of the Executive Committee (MEC) for Public Transport and Road Infrastructure, Jacob Mamabolo, announced that as of Monday, 16 November, 70 per cent of all booking slots and capacity at the various DLTCs would be dedicated to the renewal of driving licences.
This announcement was made following a meeting with the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), Driving Licence Card Account (DLCA) and Members of the Mayoral Committees (MMCs) from all local municipalities.
The MEC stressed the seriousness of the province in combating the backlog and said that any DLTC managers who undermine the directives will be dealt with harshly and face possible suspension. Mamabolo added that a Provincial Management Operations Centre will be established for the purposes of monitoring the daily activities of each DLTC, as well as to ensure that the decisions made at the meeting are being implemented.
“We have also taken a decision that available capacity in the DLTCs such as equipment, machinery and staff will be dedicated to addressing the backlog in driving licence renewals,” Mamabolo said.
Another measure discussed at the meeting was that the Department of Roads and Transport, in partnership with RTMC, will be piloting the use of mobile units in order to increase the capacity of the various facilities and provide better services to each community.
The MEC said that even though the coronavirus pandemic affected driving licence renewals, it has been years since the DLTCs have functioned optimally. He elaborated, saying that the capacity of DLTCs has not been increased to match the demand and pressure brought on by the growing population, but the department is confident that the decisions made in the meeting will help in addressing the backlogs.
