South Africa’s Department of Transport plans to introduce a new driver’s licence card for local motorists.
This is according to a report by BusinessTech.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula said that the Driving Licence Card Account (DLCA) – which is the sole producer of driver’s licences in the country – is in the final phase of designing the new card.
The DLCA falls under the Department of Transport as a trading entity, added the report.
New features and launch
Mbalula stated that the department plans to launch the new licence card in the middle of its 2021/2022 financial year.
One of the benefits of the new driver’s licence card will be improving the turnaround time for producing licences – thanks to enhanced production processes.
The new licence card will also be aligned with international best practices and incorporate a range of new technologies.
“The actual design of the card will also be changed,” stated the report.
“The introduction of the new driving licence involves a new design of the driving licence card and the re-engineering of processes to allow for agility and focus on delivering services efficiently and quickly.”
Mbalula added that the new licence will allows for the adoption of digital technologies, including “blockchain and other related technologies”.
Licence delays
The announcement of a new driver’s licence card comes at a time when the country’s licence renewal system is in turmoil.
Drivers have complained of long delays in getting their new licences, while many said they are unable to book a renewal slot using the mandared online system.
Mbalula has admitted to a massive backlog in the system, blaming corrupt staff at driving licence testing centres (DLTC) as one of the reasons.
“We have been paying particular attention to the challenges confronting DLTCs across the country, and the impact these have on the livelihoods of those who require these services to put bread on the table,” said Mbalula.
“We are paying particular attention to the rollout of online services in a manner that improves efficiencies and minimise the time the end user spends in a queue.”
Keyword: New driver’s licence planned for South Africa – The details