The Department of Transport and Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) faces a significant backlog in driver licences, with an estimated 1.3 million expired licences across the country as of August.<\/p>\n
To address this, RTMC chief executive Makhosini Msibi says the authority is working on several short-term interventions that will significantly boost licence centre capacity around the country.<\/p>\n
While this will include additional staff and longer operating hours, Msibi said that the RTMC and the department are also working on several technology-focused interventions, including an electronic eye-testing interface with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).<\/p>\n
This system will allow medical professionals to submit eye tests and other important medical documents online directly onto the department’s systems.<\/p>\n
He said that the new system would also help stop corruption at licence centres, with as many as 30% of corruption-related arrests at licence centres relating to bogus medical documentation.<\/p>\n
Msibi said that the department’s fingerprinting systems have also been integrated with the Home Affairs database, which would reduce the required number of visits to the licence centres.<\/p>\n
Together, these interventions would increase the renewal capacity by almost 50%, he said.<\/p>\n
Transport minister Fikile Mbalula has also committed to a significant IT and tech overhaul<\/a> <\/strong>at driving licence testing centres across South Africa to reduce wait times.<\/p>\n Answering in a written parliamentary Q&A, Mbalula said this would include replacing live enrolment\/live capture units with \u2018smart enrolment units\u2019 throughout the country.<\/p>\n These units are used for eye-testing and other functions when renewing or applying for a driver licence in South Africa. Mbalula said that the project would first commence in Gauteng and be incorporated into the online booking system.<\/p>\n
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