Licence renewal deadline must be extended to ease backlogs: AA
The Automobile Association (AA) says the backlog in drivers licence and vehicle licence renewals proves that the current system isn't working.
There've been calls for the government to extend the grace period for renewals granted to some motorists after the coronavirus restrictions caused disruptions.
Due to the pandemic, all learner, driver, temporary driving licences and professional driving permits that expired between the 26th of March and 31st of December last year were made valid until the end of August 2021.
The AA says with the deadline approaching, motorists have been rushing to various licence testing centres to submit their applications.
It says this has, in turn, led to major backlogs at facilities.
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Spokesperson Layton Beard says they believe pushing back the deadline would be a short-term solution to a system, which they say is riddled with problems.
"Every month in 2021, there are new people that are being added to that pool because they also require their documents to be updated and renewed.
"We don't know exactly what the numbers are but I think it runs into the hundreds of thousands and the problem is that unless urgent attention is given to the systems that deal with these problems, they are not doing to be dealt with effectively and we are going to have them in perpetuity.
"One of the other things we have said is let's extend the validity period of driving licence to ten years and that should buy us time to make sure we have got proper systems in place."
