Metro police and the Marlboro Licencing and Testing Station gave a tour of their facilities on 19 April in an attempt to open the community and media up to the inner workings of the organisation.
Also read Surprise visit catches licensing department off-guard
Spokesperson for Metro police, Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said the tour would act as a perfect opportunity to inform the public about the work done at the station which included earning one’s driver’s licence, making inquiries or settling traffic fines. The tour also took a look at the state-of-the-art computerised learner’s licence testing section.
Manager of the drivers licence testing centre at the station, Estrelita Esau, said that although the computerised section has been at the station for two years, there have been some stigma regarding technology, but younger people will embrace the newer system.
Esau said, “I think a lot of people fear that the computerised learner’s section is very complicated and, therefore, we do not have a lot of people booking for that test.”
She said that the Marlboro Licencing and Testing Station is extremely efficient for learners’ licences and light motor vehicle test bookings with the booking time taking less than a week. She also stressed that the testing station plans to grow along with the demand for the learner’s licence test, with the station being willing to add extra booking slots for the computerised test, as well as allowing school and university pupils to take the test at certain times over weekends.
“We want to reassure everyone that the station is efficient and [people] should not be fearful of the computerised learner’s test we have,” she said.
The tour revealed the happenings in all the offices at the station including a tour of the roadworthy testing section by manager Simon Nakali who displayed the inner workings of the area.
Details: 011 321 6354.
