KZN Driving License Testing Centres must urgently comply with Covid-19 safety measures

Issued by Sharon Hoosen, MPL –
20 Mar 2020 in Press Statements

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is stunned that the KZN Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI), which falls under the KZN Department of Transport (DoT), has not complied with Covid-19 regulations to date and has therefore closed all Driving Licence Testing Centres (DLTC). See the circular here.

We call on KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Transport MEC, Bheki Ntuli, to immediately ensure safety compliance at all centres, so that the decision to close the centres due to non-compliance with the National Safety Guidelines in respect of Covid-19 can be reversed.

The RTI’s failure to put proper measures in place at an earlier time is unacceptable given the many people who use this facility on a daily basis. Not only will the closures cost the Department millions of rands in revenue, but they will also cause great inconvenience to the people of KZN with:

  •   An increase in the number of expired licensed drivers
  •   No new driver tests, further exacerbating the unemployment rate
  •  A major backlog in learners’ licenses and;
  •  A further backlog in drivers’ license renewals

Safety compliance measures that must be implemented at all centres, with immediate effect, include the following;

  • That RTI officers and staff are protected and meet the safety standards
  • That all centres are open and meet the National Safety Guidelines
  • That proper controls are in place to ensure that there is always less than 100 people at a time, at the centres
  • That drivers make appointments to access services at the centres and;
  •  That the implementation of online applications for license renewals be made accessible and fast tracked.

The DA expects MEC Ntuli to intervene and turn this wholly unacceptable situation around and to ensure the safety of KZN’s people so that services can resume under strict controls and in line with the National Safety Guidelines