Numbers up for licensing department

MEASURES have been introduced to improve the situation at the licensing department in Port Shepstone following the vast number of complaints received from the public.

Hibiscus Coast Municipality (HCM) spokesman, Simon Soboyisa, said the municipality  had introduced a number system on a trial basis from Monday this week.

“A total of 150 cards with numbers will be issued to clients by officials upon opening of the doors each day, and the card will be retrieved by the official upon completion of the eye test and fingerprinting,” he said. “Note that once a number has been issued it cannot be retained and used the next day or any other day thereafter.”

Anybody who arrives after the last number has been issued will unfortunately be turned away and will not be assisted unless they are there to collect their driving licence card, or to collect application forms.

Mr Soboyisa added that those turned away are not to harass staff at the department as this is a ‘management decision’.

Mr Soboyisa said the licensing section had experienced very long queues, influenced mainly by the full implementation of the Live Capturing Units (LCU), and the influx of clients from neighbouring towns, who prefer to come to the Port Shepstone offices as they are turned away, due to the number system and or restriction on time, elsewhere.

He said the LCU  which is an upgraded and an improved electronic system, had been introduced to ultimately improve service delivery, and reduce card rejections, in particular those due to poor fingerprints and photographs.

He said any complaint and/or query submitted to management of this section is welcome.

Similarly, any allegations of fraud against any official must be submitted in writing and addressed to management and/or to the police, who will investigate.