Six days to renew licences

APPLY: DO IT BY NEXT THURSDAY ➽ Over 1 million drivers with expired ones fall in the grace period.

There will not be any further extensions to the driving licence renewal grace period beyond next Thursday for motorists whose driving licences expired during the Covid lockdowns.

The department of transport said that as at 15 March, there were still 1 433 835 driving licence cards that fall within the grace period that have not been renewed.

“We are encouraging all motorists whose driving licences are due for renewal to make use of the renewal period and apply for the renewal within the stipulated time frame as there will be no further extension afforded,” the department said.

“There are DLTCs [driving licence test centres] in Gauteng that operate from 7am to 9pm, seven days a week to assist with the backlog. In addition, other provinces have extended operating hours over weekends to assist many more motorists.”

The large number of expired licences led to renewed calls by the Automobile Association and the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse for a further extension of the grace period.

The deadline applies to driving licence cards that expired between March 2020 and August 2021.

The department said it is anticipated that the backlog in the printing of driving licence cards caused by a mechanical breakdown between November 2021 and January 2022, will be cleared by April.

However, it said a backlog has also been experienced as a result of the Covid pandemic grace period and it is anticipated that this backlog will be cleared by September.

But this means there will be motorists without a valid driving licence despite applying for a renewal before the end of the grace period.

The department said the driving licences of motorists who renew it before 31 March, will remain valid for a further three months on condition the motorists still have their old driving licence card and have proof, in the form of a receipt, of fees paid for their renewal.

However, this response ignores the department’s confirmation that it is only anticipated that the backlog caused by the Covid grace period will be cleared by September, which is six months after the end of the grace period.

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula previously indicated he would be making an announcement about the cost of temporary licences, which is an issue for low-income and unemployed people, particularly because of the problems experienced at centres and the breakdown of the card-producing machine.