AfriForum today demanded in a letter to Fikile Mbalula, Minister of Transport, that its online booking system be reopened to allow the public to apply for or renew their drivers’ licences. The civil rights organisation also indicated that it would take legal steps if the system is not reopened within a reasonable time.
Applications on the online National Traffic Information System are still suspended, despite Mbalula’s announcement on 20 May this year that all drivers’ licence centres, registration authorities, vehicle testing stations and driving schools would resume their services on 1 June.
AfriForum also requested Mbalula to explain how his department plans on wiping out the backlog of people who could not renew their licences during lockdown. It also seeks clarity on how his department will ensure that people are not treated unfairly or prejudiced as a result of the department’s failure to renew drivers’ licences. Bookings for the renewal of or applications for drivers’ licences can only be made online in certain provinces.
“The fact that the system is still suspended means that the Department of Transport makes it impossible for law-abiding citizens to abide by the law. For this reason, AfriForum demands that the system is reopened immediately. We also want assurance that people are not unfairly prejudiced because of something out of their control,” says Natasha Venter, Manager for Campaigns at AfriForum.
According to Venter, this delay can result in a bottleneck in a system that is already behind. It may also have insurance implications for people who are involved in motor vehicle accidents and do not have valid drivers’ licences because the online system was out of order.