Drivers in limbo as licence card backlog persists
South Africa's sole driving licence printing machine may be struggling to keep up. With a backlog of 733,000 cards and frequent breakdowns, the Department of Transport faces challenges in procuring new machines.
South Africa's driving licence printing machine, the country's sole printer of driving licences, has been causing headaches for applicants and the Department of Transport alike.
With a backlog of 733,000 cards, the machine's frequent breakdowns and age-related issues have brought the system to a grinding halt.
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The machine, which is 26 years old, has experienced at least 160 breakdowns in its lifetime, with repairs costing the department R12 million and R4.4 million in overtime payments.
The backlog has been slowly decreasing, with only 14,500 cards cleared since the machine was fixed in May.
The Department of Transport has been struggling to procure new driving licence card printing machines, with the process delayed due to a court application for a declaratory order on a tender award.
The department had planned to overhaul its licensing regime with new, updated and more secure cards, but the process has been put on hold.
According to BusinessTech, civil action group Outa has proposed alternative solutions, including extending the validity of licence cards to 10 years or introducing a digital driving licence regime.
However, these proposals have been rejected by the government, with Outa accusing the department of prioritising revenue generation over finding a solution to the backlog.
The backlog has resulted in additional costs for drivers, who are forced to apply for temporary licences while they wait for their permanent ones. With the current machine's limitations and the delayed procurement process, it's unclear when the backlog will be cleared.
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