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The Automobile Association welcomed the decision by the Department of Transport to extend the validity of driving licenses which expired between 26 March and 31 December 2020 to the end of August 2021.
The AA said this was the right move given the current circumstances around renewals.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula published the extension in the government gazette on Thursday for learner licenses, driving license cards, temporary driving licenses, and professional driving permits.
“When we first campaigned for extensions to the cars and discs we cautioned that any leeway of just a few months – as was the case originally – would only be a temporary fix and that a longer-term solution is necessary,” the Association said.
But, the AA said this new extension is the right move but was still a temporary fix to a bigger problem.
The Association said the government must use the time between now and the end of August 2021 to relook at the current model of issuing and renewing licences and discs with a view to providing a more streamlined and more efficient system to users.
It said the current system was in shambles and needed a complete reworking and possibly even replacement.
“The backlogs now were not caused by COVID-19 but the issues around coronavirus certainly exacerbated the problems. We urge the government to use this time wisely to fix a system which is, for all intents and purposes, broken,” the AA said.
