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The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has been accused of misleading the public about the reason for the validity period of driving licences not being extended.
Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) executive director Stefanie Fick said on Wednesday that information from the RTMC and the Department of Transport (DoT) to Outa indicated that the RTMC has ignored the research it conducted in 2022 that recommended extending the validity period of driving licence cards – and justified this by referring to “research which it does not appear to have”.
Fick said Outa in July 2024 used the Promotion of Access to Information Act (Paia) to ask both the RTMC and DoT for two reports they used when making a decision on whether or not to extend the driving licence validity period beyond the current five years.
She said the Driving Licence Card Validity Period Review compiled by Zutari in May 2022 has now been handed over to Outa after the RTMC initially refused to give it to Outa.
“This report recommended extending the card validity period for drivers of light vehicles to eight years, which the RTMC and [the] department have clearly ignored,” she said.
Fick said the second report contained the research on which RTMC CEO Makhosini Msibi based his claim to Moneyweb in May 2024 that the card validity period could not be extended as a number of accidents were related to “communicable and other diseases”.
Fick said the RTMC told Outa on 31 July 2024 in response to its Paia requests that it would not hand over this second research report.
She said the RTMC referred to Section 43(2) of Paia, which allows a refusal of access to information by the public if there are confidentiality concerns, including relating to the subject of research.
‘It cannot be found thus it does not exist’
However, Fick said on the same day the DoT informed Outa that “we have taken reasonable steps to find a copy of the alleged research and, for that reason, it cannot be found thus it does not exist”.
She said the DoT provided an affidavit from a deputy director-general confirming this.
“It is clear the RTMC is deliberately misleading the public on its so-called reason not to extend the driving licence card validity period.
“Outa now questions the motives of the RTMC, as the ultimate decision to extend the validity period lies with the Minister of Transport, who in turn should not be influenced by an entity with vested financial interests in the decision.
“We find the reasons advanced by the RTMC to be ludicrous and lacking in any factual basis,” she said.
Moneyweb has approached both the RTMC and DoT for comment but has not yet received a response.
Muddling ministers
There appears to be a lack of consensus between the ministers of transport over the past few years on whether or not to extend the validity period of the driving licence plus some factual contradictions in the statements made by them on this issue.
This is based on:
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Former minister of transport Fikile Mbalula telling Moneyweb on 2 September 2022 that the DoT had proposed to cabinet that the validity period of driving licences be extended from the current five years to between eight and 10 years. Mbalula said the decision would be communicated once cabinet had made a final determination on the submission and the suggested renewal period;
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Immediate past minister of transport Sindisiwe Chikunga confirming to Moneyweb on 31 July 2023 that the DoT would present the proposal to cabinet “soonest” to increase the validity period of the new driving licence card to eight years; and
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Chikunga and RTMC CEO Makhosini Msibi on 30 May 2024 both informing Moneyweb that the proposal to extend the validity period to eight years was not presented to cabinet for approval and the validity period of driving licences would remain unchanged at five years.
Fabled new card printing machine
Outa said on Wednesday it is concerned that the refusal to extend the card validity period is linked to the tender to buy a new card printing machine and the money to be made from reprinting cards every five years.
It said this tender is managed by another DoT entity, the Driving Licence Card Account, which has so far failed to procure the promised new machine to produce the planned new smart card driving licence.
Cabinet in August 2022 approved the introduction of a new smart card driving licence in South Africa.
Moneyweb reported in June this year that several civil society organisations had expressed serious concern about the complete lack of transparency by the DoT about the procurement process for the acquisition of a machine to produce the new smart card driving licences and that they could find no trace of a tender advert.
Chikunga said in April 2024 that the DoT would print and launch the first 100 new driving licence cards per province by the end of that month, but this has not yet happened.
Licences are essential tools
Fick said on Wednesday Outa believes that driving licences are essential tools and should be available through a fair, legally appropriate and well-managed system.
“Instead, South Africa has a system managed by the RTMC that appears to be riddled with maladministration, coupled with an unacceptable poor record of road safety.
“This is a national crisis which government to date has failed to address adequately,” she said.
“Unless state-owned entities like the RTMC realise that civil society organisations are not the enemy but wish to work with government to effect positive change, nothing will change.
“Outa strongly believes that the only way to effect significant change is for civil society organisations and state-owned institutions to engage meaningfully and collaborate in finding solutions to the concerns,” she said.
Can Creecy assist?
Fick added that Outa wrote to newly appointed Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy in July 2024 and requested engagement to discuss the extension of the driving licence validity period and other related issues but has not yet received a response.
Automobile Association (AA) spokesperson Layton Beard said in May this year when Chikunga and RTMC CEO Msibi confirmed the driving licence validity period was to remain unchanged, that the AA was disappointed the proposal to extend the validity of driving licences has not been presented to cabinet.
Beard said the AA had made several arguments for such an extension and why it is a practical solution and to the benefit of motorists, including that it will resolve some of the delays in the past with issuing driving licence renewals and an extension is more in line with international standards.
source:Public being ‘misled’ on lack of driving licence validity extension – Moneyweb
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