Creecy to expedite procurement of new driving licence card printing equipment

Newly appointed Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy said she has urged the director general in her department to expedite the procurement of a new driving licence card printing machine.

This is to avoid a long waiting period for driving licence cards.

In June, the Department of Transport (DoT) said it was on track to deliver new driving licence card printing equipment for the country amid the initial challenges of finding suitable service providers.

ALSO READ: Transport dept says ‘on track’ to deliver new driving licence card equipment

Creecy told 702 the department has had challenges with the procurement of the equipment.

“I’m told that there is one machine which is functioning effectively, I am told that there is some procurement challenges with the other machine. These are matters that I’ve asked the DG to resolve with speed. I think that it is unacceptable that members of the public are being kept waiting so long and it’s what leads to overhaul frustration and lack of credibility of a system as a whole,” said Creecy.

Challenges with equipment procurement

Concerns were raised by civil society organisations about the lack of transparency by the transport department regarding the procurement process for the acquisition of a machine to produce the new smart card driving licences.

Former minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga at the time indicated twice in two months that the department was at “the tail end” of the appointment of the supplier of the new machine.

Electric cars

Creecy also touched on the department’s green transport strategy, with the aim to create infrastructure for electric vehicles.

“My colleague, the former minister of the Department of Trade and Industry Ebrahim Patel has a green hydrogen road map.

“Part of what I want to look at is how we can put in the necessary infrastructure for electric vehicles, charging stations and so on,” Creecy said.

In April, the International Energy Agency said sales of electric cars are surging and expected to break another record in 2024, with China a big market for that growing demand.

In its annual report on the sector, the Paris-based IEA said the world’s electric car fleet continued to “grow strongly” although momentum was greater in some markets than others.

ALSO READ: Electric car sales set to reach new high in 2024 driven by China

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