Road Traffic Infringement Agency lifts block on disc renewal

THE Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has urged people to take advantage of the lifted block to renew their licence discs while the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) carry through their investigation.

This comes after the RTIA temporarily lifted a block that was imposed for drivers to renew their licence disc if they had outstanding fines.

Outa’s Executive Director of the Accountability Division, Stefanie Fick, urged vehicle owners to take advantage and renew their licence discs.

“So, while they’re conducting this investigation, although the enforcement will remain on system, they have lifted that block which prevents people from renewing their licence. They can never, ever stop you from renewing your licence if you have only outstanding fines,” said Fick.

She said it is only in terms of legislation when there is an enforcement order, and an enforcement order can only be issued if the RTIA followed a certain procedure.

Last year, the South African Post Office launched a service for drivers to renew their motor vehicle licence discs online.

The renewal process including payment can be done online, and the disc can then be collected from a Post Office or delivered to one’s door.

There has been an outcry from some motor vehicles owners that they have been unsuccessful in renewing their discs because of outstanding fines, with some having complaints of receiving SMSes informing them that they have outstanding fines that will prevent them from renewing their vehicle or driver’s licences.

Fick said: “Where a courtesy letter is absent, the RTIA has deprived an infringer of the opportunity to comply with an infringement notice, resulting in a more serious consequence, an enforcement order. If this is the case, it means that the RTIA has failed to follow its own process.”

Spokesperson for the South African Post Office, Johan Kruger, stated that the online service is a convenient and safe way for motorists to renew their vehicle licences.

Outa said while unpaid traffic fines were preventing motorists from renewing their licences, the RTIA is not following the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (Aarto) law once again. The block was expected to be lifted until the agency’s investigation into the matter was completed.