Outa calls on government to extend driver’s licence renewals to 10 years

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has called on the government to extend the driver’s licence renewal interval from five to 10 years.

Outa’s Dominique Msibi said they believed that both the state and citizens would benefit from a formal extension.

“This should save the SA consumer and government time and money, as well as improve the administration and manageability of the renewal process by the state,” she said.

Msibi said they wrote to transport minister Fikile Mbalula requesting:

• the extension from five to 10 years, which applies to those aged 18 to 65;
• more efficient online application processes for licence renewals;
• multiple methods for licence renewals to be made available through test centres and reputable service providers; and
• current restrictions applicable to professional driver’s permits either remain the same, or are possibly extended as well - but that this decision must be based on more extensive research and the inclusion of input from bus and tourism role players.

She said the state’s inability to address the backlog of licence renewals was “spilling into a crisis of administrative challenges that has the potential for citizens to be deemed as acting outside the law”.

“The extension of the grace period for expired driver’s licence is becoming the norm. We believe there will be no adverse impact on the lives of South Africans in the case of extending driving licence renewal to 10 years,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Automobile Association (AA) called for the implementation of a moratorium on fining motorists without renewed driving licences “as a matter of urgency”.

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