Online driver's licence renewal system leaves some motorists fuming

On January 4 the South African government tweeted that motorists would no longer have to wait in long queues to renew their driver's licences, thanks to the new, time-saving @TrafficRTMC system.

The post said online Natis centres will operate from Mondays to Fridays 8am to 9pm and 9am to 9pm on Saturdays.

However, reactions to the announcement on social media have been largely negative, with motorists complaining of long queues and most provinces not being registered on the online system.

Some responses to the government's tweet (above) read:

“I've been waiting for my licence for nearly six months. I'm just going to drive with the expired temporary licence.”

“You still wait in the queue. I had an appointment 12.30, arrived 11.00, left the DLTC (driving licence testing centre) at 14.00. Three hours of waiting in a queue.”

“But this is a lie. There are people who still do walk-ins who actually create longer lines at your centres. Do a better job at driving marketing for those thinking walk-ins are still acceptable.”

“I've also emailed your call centre and tried calling 086 140 0800 — hung on for more than 38 minutes, no answer.”

Motorists are also angry after discovering they are unable to renew their licences online as the service is only available in Gauteng and the Eastern Cape, despite the Department of Transport announcing early in 2022 that the online service would be rolled out in all provinces.

The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has not responded to queries regarding when the other regions will be added.

However, not all social media responses to the government's post were negative:

“Thank you RTMC. I renewed my car licence online and got delivery a week later.”

“I renewed my licence at Centurion @TrafficRTMC @GovernmentZA around 8pm and fetched my licence on a Sunday afternoon. The service is efficient and spectacular. I hope they keep up their excellent service.”

While the online service does not eliminate the need for queuing, it has been introduced to improve service delivery and minimise the need for a motorist to visit a DLTC a number of times, said transport minister Fikile Mbalula early last year.

“Motorists will be able to access most of the services they had to queue for at a DLTC in the past from their homes and offices. The end goal is to eliminate queues once the full bouquet of online services has been implemented,” he said.

The measures were implemented to help clear a huge backlog in the renewal of expired driving licence cards caused by the closure of DLTCs due to Covid-19, faulty equipment and systems, and corruption involving officials selling online block bookings for bribes. The backlog was worsened by the breakdown of the only machine able to print driver’s licence cards. This has been back in service since January 2022.

A new-generation “smart” driver’s licence card will be rolled out from October, with the current one phased out over five years. The new card will have advanced security features and meet international standards, meaning it can also be used as identification.

The current driver's licence card and the equipment used to produce it will be decommissioned on April 1 2024. However, the cards will be valid until March 31 2029.