Eight months of waiting for Mbombela pensioner’s driver’s licence
After months of waiting for his driver's licence, an elderly resident was told it could not be found and that he would have to start the process all over again.
An 82-year-old pensioner has been waiting for his driver’s licence from the Mbombela Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC) for eight months. According to Willem Vorster, he applied for the renewal of his licence in May 2022. To date, he has not received any SMSs, as he was originally advised that one would be sent to him to notify him that it was available for collection.
“I have made several subsequent visits to the licensing offices, only to find the queue too long. I am 82 and cannot be expected to stand in a line for an indefinite period on the off chance that my licence might be ready. On Friday, I again visited the offices. After waiting for an hour, I was informed the licence could not be found, and was then told the photo taken at the time of the original application was unsatisfactory,” he said.
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Vorster said he was required to complete a new application form to renew his licence. The photos had to be retaken and his eyes retested. “For the original application, I had submitted a letter from my ophthalmologist, so I cannot understand why this retest was necessary. Since I did not drive myself to the licensing department and did not have my driving spectacles with me for this retest, I am not sure how accurate it could have been.”
His identity document and expired licence also had to be resubmitted. “I am now expected to wait a further two months for my new licence, which is not fair,” said Vorster.
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“The state of the DLTC offices is appalling. Is this what we must contend with going forward? They also should have a place where they cater for older people like me. I would like to appeal to the management to prioritise my application as I have been waiting for my licence for the past eight months.”
The spokesperson for the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Moeti Mmusi, said they would investigate the matter and revert back to Vorster.
