Ladysmith KZN: Long queues and no social distancing at Licensing Department?

Residents are fed up with the Licensing Department and the procedures that are in place at the moment. A resident who wishes to remain anonymous said he went one morning this week to renew his vehicle licence and change of ownership and when he reached the front of the queue at about 11:00, the staff told him they were closed and he should return the following morning at 8:00. He had waited in line from 07:30 that day.

He says the service is pathetic. “You have to wait so long and by the time you get to the front of the queue, they request unnecessary documents and send you away. The next day, I returned with the supposedly required documents, which it turns out they did not require after all. It was frustrating standing in such a long line, with no social distancing whatsoever,” he fumed.

Another resident said she went through the same thing. She has a medical condition and had to wait hours in the queue, which put strain on her back. “The Licensing Department is so inconsiderate. Something needs to be done about their procedures in following the Covid-19 regulations and assisting customers,” she said.

According to Alfred Duma Local Municipality spokesperson Siyabonga Maphalala, many renewal services were suspended by the national and provincial government due to Covid-19. Renewals are now continuing and every day, they target 250 to 350 people using numbered tickets. “We don’t issue tickets after lunch so that we complete everyone who was issued with a ticket number for the day,” said Maphalala.

Also read: Dam levels already good as rainy season beckons

He carried on to say that the Licensing Department staff even work after-hours to complete the numbers issued per day, so everyone is encouraged to get there early to ensure that they receive a ticket number. “It’s beyond our control, but we are managing, even though the recovery path is tiring and difficult for everyone. Unfortunately, even our officials stand for long hours to provide this much-needed service. We appeal to everyone to be patient with the process,” he concluded.

Click to receive news links via WhatsApp. Or  for the latest news, visit our webpage or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Join us there!