The Democratic Alliance has asked the Western Cape’s Mobility Department to investigate the possibility of delegating the function of printing drivers’ licence cards to the province.
This comes after yet another breakdown of the driving licence card printing machine, the country’s only card printing machine.
Also read: South African driving licence set to get digital upgrade
The Department of Transportation confirmed last week that the device is no longer operational but stressed that there is no need for concern.
Officials stated that routine maintenance on the machine began at the beginning of last month, but technicians then encountered a breakdown, necessitating the replacement of a critical part from the machine’s original manufacturer.
Furthermore, the department reassured South Africans that this would not affect the production of driver’s licence cards and encouraged people to continue applying for their cards as usual; however, a two- to three-week delay is expected.
Last year, the country’s sole card printing machine failed and was out of commission for four weeks, resulting in a significant backlog.
In response to the Department of Transport’s announcement that the country’s only driving licence card printing machine has broken down, the Democratic Alliance’s shadow deputy minister of transport, Thamsanqa Mabhena, released a statement requesting that driving licence card printing be decentralised.
In regards to the DA’s request that the Western Cape’s Mobility Department investigate the possibility of delegating the function of printing driver’s licences to the province, Mabhena said:
‘In light of the ongoing issues surrounding the driving licence card machine and the Department’s continued mismanagement, the DA reiterates our call for each province to independently produce the service. A practical and risk-mitigating solution would involve providing each province with its own machine, ensuring sufficient backup in case of future breakdowns. This approach is consistent with our previous recommendations and would improve overall service delivery and responsiveness to citizens, despite the department’s consistent failures.’
Also read:
The SARB officially introduces the country’s upgraded banknotes and coins
Picture: Unsplash