Transport dept ‘on track’ to deliver new driving licence printing machine

THE DEPARTMENT of Transport has announced that it is “on track” to deliver a new driving licence card and associated printing equipment for the country. This comes after initial challenges in finding a suitable service provider.

The department is on the verge of ushering in a “new dawn” in the driving licence card environment, according to a statement released on Monday.

“With the evaluation and adjudication of the bids completed, the department is almost on the brink of pronouncing a new dawn in the driving licence card environment, with the audit process being the only last hurdle standing in the way.”

The Cabinet had given the green light for the department to produce a new driving license card for the country on August 30, 2022. Consequently, the department embarked on its first attempt to source a service provider to deliver a turnkey solution.

The initial bid, advertised on November 10, 2022, was unsuccessful, leading to a re-advertisement of the bid on 5 April 5, 2023.

“Bid DLCA/2023/01: Provision of a Turnkey Solution for Personalisation of Smart Driving Cards in South Africa was advertised in the government tender portal,” the department said.

The bid closed on May 5, 2023. Due to its technical complexity, the bid continues to be under consideration, requiring the department to adhere to prescribed supply chain management (SCM) prescripts and regulations.

Following this process, the department received five bids.

With the evaluation and adjudication of the bid completed, the department emphasised that the bid is undergoing standard and required probity/audit processes. The department cannot finalise the bid process until this is completed.

The department has called for patience, stating that it is legally prohibited from interfering in the affairs of the bidding committees.

“In compliance with the rules and regulations on tender processes, the department can therefore not be characterised as lacking transparency. The department will pronounce on this matter when all processes have been completed,” it said.

Source: SAnews.gov.za