Driver's licence machine reportedly back online
South Africa's only driving licence printing machine, which recently broke down, is now back online.
The Department of Transport has confirmed that South Africa's sole driving licence card printing machine is back in service after a three-month breakdown.
According to BusinessTech, the machine, which has been out of operation since 5 February, had accumulated a massive backlog of over 747,700 outstanding cards that need to be printed.
To address the backlog, the department will extend hours at the Driving Licence Card Agency to process the cards.
Updates on the backlog reduction will be provided as significant progress is made, although the department warned that new daily orders will impact the reduction process.
The backlog is most significant in Gauteng, with 252,745 outstanding cards, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 115,020 and the Western Cape with 108,402.
Drivers renewing their licences can expect delays, particularly in provinces with the larger backlogs. To mitigate this, South Africans have been advised to obtain temporary driving licences while waiting for their permanent cards to be printed.
The 26-year-old machine has experienced at least 160 breakdowns in its lifetime, with failures becoming more frequent with its advanced years.
Plans to overhaul the licensing regime with new, updated and more secure cards have stalled due to a delayed tender process.
For now, the department is working to clear the backlog and provide relief to drivers affected by the machine's downtime.
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