Transport minister Fikile Mbalula announced an extension to the grace period for driver's licence card renewals. Courtesy of #DStv403
JOHANNESBURG - Cries for the extension of driver's licence renewals have been heard.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula announced the department will be extending the process to 31 March 2022.
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Gauteng accounts for the highest number of licences not yet renewed at 437,819 out of a total of 980,038 expired licences, representing 44.6 percent non-renewal.
"The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in restrictions that led to the closure of Driving Licence Testing Centres (DLTCs), resulting in backlogs," Mbalula said.
"The previous extensions of the validity period were meant to enable an orderly clearing of the backlog."
All learner's licences, driving licence cards, temporary driving licences and professional driving permits that expire during the period that commenced from 26 March 2020, up to and including 31 August 2021, are deemed valid and their validity periods are extended for a further grace period ending on 31 March 2022.
Nationally, 1.2 million (1,210,965) licences not yet renewed out of a total of 2.8 million (2,852,388) expired licences. This represents 42.4% non-renewal, with 57.6% of all expired licences having been renewed. https://t.co/9n6XpjdLNT pic.twitter.com/71aj5JyEAC
— |Mr Fix (@MbalulaFikile) August 27, 2021
In order to give motorists a fair opportunity to renew their licences, while we are rolling out a number of measures to improve efficiencies and resolve challenges, we have decided to extend further the grace period for the renewal of licences. https://t.co/9n6XpjdLNT pic.twitter.com/VNbvKQeHCb
— |Mr Fix (@MbalulaFikile) August 27, 2021