Thousands of motorists who have been awaiting a new driving licence card will be relieved to know that the country’s only driving licence card printing machine has finally been fixed.
The machine has been inoperable since February this year. This has led to a backlog of 747 748 outstanding cards to be printed.
The Department of Transport said the working hours for staff at the Driving Licence Card Agency, which is an entity of the department, will be extended to ensure the reduction of the backlog.
The backlog breakdown:
. Gauteng – 252 745
. KwaZulu-Natal -115 020
. Western Cape – 108 402
. Mpumalanga – 66 833
. Limpopo – 61 769
. Eastern Cape – 55 393
. North West – 39 983
. Free State – 33 741
. Northern Cape – 13 862.
The department said with the current catch-up plan, updates on the backlog reduction will be provided as and when significant progress is made.
However, the backlog reduction is also dependent on the number of orders being received daily.
Meanwhile, the Western Cape government has welcomed the announcement and said it will bring much-needed relief to thousands of motorists.
In a statement, the department said it is hopeful that this marks the start of real progress.
“But the national department of transport has its work cut out for it as it works in easing the massive backlog in printing new cards.
“We trust that the national department will now move swiftly and efficiently to clear the backlog without any further issues.
“The provincial government remains committed to advocating for efficient, accountable service delivery that empowers residents and strengthens mobility across the province,” read the statement.
