PSA calls for further extension of driving license grace period

This week, Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula warned motorists will only have until 5 May to apply for their expired license cards to be renewed. 

This after several challenges led to a massive backlog of more than a million expired licenses. 

He said this would be the final extension, but the PSA has said he needs to re-assess the situation. 

"We received a number of complaints," says the PSA's Claude Naicker. 

"The system always seems to be offline, whether you go in physically or do it online, they seem to be having a problem," he says. 

Naicker adds that the extension of traffic centre operation hours is not enough as the centres do not have enough manpower to assist citizens.  

"In our letter to the minister, we have asked him to assess the situation," he says, noting that the PSA believes an additional two to three months may be needed to deal with the backlog.