Mbalula clears the air on R250 driving licence renewal booking fee

09 September 2021 - 08:37
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Minister of transport Fikile Mbalula has addressed the outcry over the fee. File photo.
Minister of transport Fikile Mbalula has addressed the outcry over the fee. File photo.
Image: Twitter/Department of transport

Transport minister Fikile Mbalula has cleared the air on the controversial R250 booking fee to renew a driving licence, claiming the cost is not new.

This week the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) was accused of charging motorists a new R250 payment to make an online booking for a slot in the queue to renew a driving licence.

LISTEN | Public petition to oppose driver’s licence fee renewal hike still in effect: AA

Taking to social media, Mbalula said reports that the fee was new were “false”.

“There is no new fee,” he reiterated. “We have gazetted for public comment an added option to make new licence cards. In the future you should be able to make them online and pay the R250 you would have paid had you opted for the current option of DLTC [driving licence testing centre].”

The gazetted notice, with details for submitting comments, can be found here.

The RTMC also issued a statement, claiming the fee is not new, nor is it additional.

“Driving licence cardholders are already paying for this fee when renewing their credit card format driving licences at the licensing centres.

“It is money paid for the production of the credit card form driving licence. The proposed change seeks to make it convenient for driving licence cardholders to make this payment online when booking to renew driving licence cards,” said the RTMC.

The corporation said the online system will improve service delivery, cut time spent in queues at the licensing centres, and bring about much-needed convenience to the public and other stakeholders.

“To improve efficiency and cut the time the public spends queuing at the licensing centres, it is proposed that the public will have an option to make online payments for renewal of driving licence cards or vehicle licence disks and to have these documents delivered directly to the address of their choice,” it said.

The Automobile Association (AA) launched an online petition to challenge the proposal, and said it would continue to challenge it until clarity on the cost was provided in the gazette.

Those who want to challenge the proposal have until October 4 to sign the petition. 

The AA's Layton Beard said the goal of the public petition is to have the proposed fees not only clarified and amended, but also revised down to become more affordable for struggling motorists.

He said the group hopes to have fees standardised across provinces, and to bring attention to what it considers a “broken” driving licence renewal and vehicle registration system.


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