Smart licence on the cards

PROBLEMS: APPLYING, ISSUING A STUMBLING BLOCK, BUT ONLINE PROCEDURE PROMISED Industry experts welcome Mbalula’s announcement – but with reservations.

South Africa’s planned new smart card driving licence will be introduced in October 2023, with the existing card phased out over a five-year period. Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula confirmed this on Thursday in a briefing during which he provided an update on the department of transport driving licence interventions.

Mbalula said the new driving licence card will have advanced security features and meet international standards, which means it can also be used as an alternative form of identification.

“We are in the process of seeking Cabinet approval for the design of the new card this year.

“This will then be followed by a procurement process that will enable us to pilot the card and introduce the new card in October 2023.

“Once we start issuing the new card, we will phase out the current card over a five-year period, which should allow the current cards to expire,” he said.

Mbalula also confirmed that in looking at various interventions to improve the driving licence value chain, the department is also looking at the validity period of the driving licence card.

He referred to the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse questioning why the department did not extend the validity period of driving licences to 10 years.

Mbalula said the Road Traffic Management Corporation has appointed a panel of researchers to look into the matter.

“Informed by the research, we will make the appropriate determination,” he said.

The Automobile Association (AA) said it is a positive development that the new driving licence cards with advanced security features will be capable of being used as official identification.

However, the AA said that if the existing problems around applying and issuing of cards are not resolved, the introduction of a new card – however advanced – will have solved nothing.

“We therefore eagerly await the introduction of new online procedures, which are slated to come into force on 17 February, as a way of dealing more effectively with the procedures.”