SA motorists poised for eight-year licence cards as Creecy tackles crippling backlogs
Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy has indicated that ordinary South Africans could soon enjoy eight-year driver’s licences
Image: Supplied/GCIS
Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy has indicated that ordinary South Africans could soon enjoy eight-year driver’s licences, while commercial drivers will continue to renew every two years for safety reasons.
This comes as South Africa continues to grapple with backlogs in issuing driver’s licences, caused in part by aging equipment and a long-standing reliance on a single card-printing machine.
Answering questions before the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) , the minister said a study conducted before her appointment recommended different renewal periods for commercial and ordinary drivers, which forms the basis of the proposed eight-year validity.
"I read that study when I was appointed. It is an interesting study. It talks about, if you are having a public driver’s license, so you are driving a bus or a taxi or a heavy vehicle license to drive a truck, in those categories, the suggestion is that there should be more regular renewal of those licenses".
"Because we want to make sure that those people who are either driving very heavy vehicles that can cause significant accidents, or else they are driving passengers, should be renewing at least on a two-yearly basis, so that you are checking their eyes and other aspects".
The minister added that when it comes to a "driver’s license for ordinary citizens like you and me, the suggestion was that we go for a period of eight years."
"About the driver’s license for ordinary citizens like you and me, the suggestion was that we should go for a period of eight years. I think that is something that we view in a favourable light.
"About the request that I made to the department, you would understand that there are entities in the department, like the driver’s licence card entity, that is due to move to the Road Traffic Management Corporation, RTMC"
However, she also explained that any decision on extending licence validity would depend on the findings of a financial and operational study
"I am not saying that one would make the decision even if there were significant financial implications, and also, I do not think that it is wise when you are in an executive office to make decisions when you do not understand what are the unintended consequences of those decisions. I am waiting for that study. Once I get it and once I understand the implications, I will be able to make a decision."
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