Durban - The Department of Transport has extended all learner’s licences, driver’s licence cards, temporary driver’s licences and professional driving permits that expired from March 26 to August 31, 2020, to January 31, 2021.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula amended Direction 6 of the regulations made under section 27(2) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act No 57 of 2002).
The amendment was published under Government Notice No 544, in the Government Gazette.
“All motor vehicle licence discs, temporary permits and roadworthy certificates that expired during the period that commenced from March 26, 2020, up to and including May 31, 2020, are deemed to be valid and their validity period is extended for a further grace period ending on August 31, 2020,” the gazette said.
Motor trade number licences which expired during the period that commenced from March 26 up to and including May 31 are deemed to be valid and are extended for a further grace period ending on November 30, 2020.
Meanwhile, some visitors to provincial Department of Transport centres were left frustrated by the extremely long closure of centres because of Covid-19.
A Back Chatter said he had recently gone to Rossburgh Driving Licence Testing Centre for collection and either found long queues or it was closed.
He had gone there on a weekday and a Saturday morning.
“On the weekday there was a notice outside the main gate. On Saturday we saw long queues and not enough staff, so we left,” he said.
He said shops and schools were able to deep cleanse in a day or two but the department was taking weeks.
Last week, the department reported that 13 testing centres - Eshowe, Vryheid, Howick, Mooi River, Underberg, Hlabisa, Richmond, Utrecht and Nongoma (municipal) and the Newcastle RTI, Rossburgh RTI, Pinetown RTI and Mkondeni RTI (provincial) - were temporarily closed until further notice because of Covid-19 outbreaks.
On Tuesday, the department said the Mkondeni DLTC in Pietermaritzburg had reopened and would offer the services of professional driving permits, renewal of driver’s licences, card collections, learner’s licence and driver’s licence bookings and backlog tests suspended from March 2020 for driver’s and learner’s licence tests. The department said Mkondeni would contact individuals about their rescheduled tests.
Richmond DLTC also reopened while Empangeni DLTC is closed until further notice.
Daily News