DLTC’s erratic online system, some applicants booked to write learner’s test at midnight

In yet another state online public service glitch, the transport department’s licence card renewals system, which failed hardly two weeks after takeoff, has been described as an unworkable mess.

The National Traffic Information System, linked to the new online portal, has been criticised as inefficient, with one applicant booked to write their learner’s test at midnight.

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula and the Road Traffic Management Corporation unveiled the system more than two weeks ago, with the agency saying transactions on the system had more than doubled to 296 as the system stabilised. But there have been complaints that the system was giving error messages when applicants tried to create a profile for transactions, such as bookings.

On Thursday, driving school owners blocked traffic between Olifantsfontein Road and New Road in Midrand to protest against the online system as they were unable to book slots for their clients. Fiona Slattery, who does bookings for driving schools, said they have been struggling to register since day one of the system. “We get a message saying the details provided did not match those on the system.

“If I try book for a learner’s licence it says ‘slot error’. I have been waiting for two hours for an one-time pin code. The system just says ‘SMS cannot be sent’ before going down,” she said.

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Abbey Ngwenya, of Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria, said he has been trying to secure a learner’s licence appointment for a whole week with no success.

He said the system kept rejecting his details as already existing in the system, but he has never applied before. Simon Zwane, RTMC spokesperson, insisted the system was working perfectly fine and invited Saturday Citizen for a demonstration.

He tried to register an applicant for a leaner’s licence slot but the system kept rejecting his inputs and he had to call their internal IT department several times before the system finally completed the registration. Zwane explained the information entered into the system needed to be as it appears on the applicant’s official documents as the system interfaced with that of home affairs.

“Things such as initials, spelling of name and surname must be in the order they appear on the ID document. “Other than that, the system is working,” he said.

Zwane did, however, concede that the system did experience problems related to connectivity and that the registration portal needed some improvements.

– siphom@citizen.co.za