Nightmarish licence renewal chaos at traffic dept drags on

If all the “services” offered to citizens by our government, the most horrific must be the one to renew your driving licence.

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has confirmed that the grace period for people to renew their expired licences ends on 31 August.

The concession was granted originally because of the chaos caused by lockdowns and the fact that many
officials in licensing offices were not working during those periods.

By all accounts, including by one of our journalists today, the process is agonisingly slow and fraught with conflicting messaging, both online and in testing centres.

That is, of course, if you can secure yourself a renewal appointment, which seems about as easy as getting a lift on a Elon Musk spacecraft…

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This is simply abysmal service especially in a digital age when, we have been promised, this country will sweep ahead, thanks to the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”.

Not only is the online system unfit for purpose when it comes to driver’s licences, it is also ineffective when it comes to paying traffic fines online.

What is most infuriating is that this mess has been continuing for years.

Do your job, minister. Sort this out. That is what we pay you for.