Public asked to comment on new vehicle registrations

TRANSPORT and Public Works MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela is calling on the public to comment on the allocation of a new provincial licence mark to all the vehicle registering authorities of the Western Cape.

Madikizela said a notice to this effect would shortly be published in the Provincial Gazette.

The department’s head of communications, Jandré Bakker, said the MEC may allocate a new licence mark to any registering authority or establish a new licence number system for the province.

Bakker said the move was a pre-emptive one, driven by the rate at which the current CAA and CAW licence numbers were fast depleting.

He said the CAW registration would be replaced by CAG for the greater George-area most likely in the next six weeks while CAA for Cape Town would run out by January.

“Similar to the situation a few years ago in Gauteng a new licence registration will soon be necessary for all vehicles in the province.”

Bakker said the proposed change to a provincial licence mark would eliminate any further challenges relating to individual licence marks per registering authority.

He said the department was considering the option to provide for a transition period of five years, during which the public would have to convert to the new system. Personalised WP licence numbers would not be affected by the new system.

“As at November 3, 76 212 CAA numbers have been allocated since its introduction on April 13. The department made a few proposals on a new licence mark to the MEC, who tabled it for discussion by the provincial cabinet.

“Any person or organisation wishing to comment on the content of the intended notice will be requested to lodge the comments in writing before or on the date referred to in the notice as published in the Provincial Gazette,” Bakker said.

He said a statement would be released calling for comment once the date of the publishing of the Provincial Gazette had been finalised.

Chairperson of the City’s transport portfolio committee Angus McKenzie said the challenge was the call to scrap the CAA and CA/CY system, but said they did believe and could confirm that these two systems could work in tandem.