Pretoria - Motorists and aspiring drivers made their way to reopened driving licence testing centres to seek services after a series of demonstrations shutdown operations across Gauteng for more than a week.
Driving school operators staged numerous shutdown demonstrations by burning tyres and blocking entry to the centres, calling on the government to do away with the eNatis online booking system.
They have been at loggerheads with the Gauteng government for imposing the online system on them which allegedly killed their businesses and displaced the poor and elderly, who had no access to data and smart technology devices to make bookings.
However, they said the smooth flow of service delivery at the centres was possible because the Gauteng Department of Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure and Roads Traffic Management Corporation were engaging the National Driving School Association of South Africa.
The association was expecting feedback following a meeting on Monday where stakeholders agreed to give the government time to consult internally and come back to report how it could resolve the dispute.
While motorists approached the centres to enquire about their missed appointments, due to the protests, and to launch new enquiries, informal traders like those who deal in photos, copying and printing documents and those who sold food resumed trading.
However, customers who wanted to take their driving tests were subjected to postponements in Mabopane and Akasia. The two centres did not reopen with other centres that resumed business.
Tebogo Thankga said he visited the Mabopane testing centre to enquire about enforcement notices which blocked him from renewing his car licence disc.
"I am happy the protests stopped because they have been going on for a while now. This means I can now go to the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) desk to ask for clarity and find out if I can make payment arrangements."
Susan Madiba said she wanted to take a driving licence test because she had ambitions to buy her first car this year but with driving schools clashing with the government, she could not make a booking.
"Although I am happy they are open, I also want the government to ensure that innovation does not cost small township business people their jobs. There must be an option to do things online and the old traditional way of walking in and being assisted by people at the desk."
One of the leaders of driving schools operators in Pretoria, Cassper Mashigo, said: "We are going to decide on a way forward after the association has given us feedback but we are hoping the government keeps its promise and implements a solution that makes everybody happy.
"At the end of the day, everybody wants to work and inconvenience is unattractive to everybody involved. Not just us but even the regular citizens who are inconvenience by the online system."
Pretoria News