Another licence rush on cards

2003-04-11 08:34

Gerjo Hoffman

Cape Town - Traffic authorities expect a flood of driving-licence applications at the end of April because motorists have failed to use the period of grace they were granted.

Peter Beets, director of Western Cape road infrastructure administration, said the province would have to issue 154 774 new licences in the next three weeks to meet the deadline.

"We have to issue more than 8 000 a day in the Western Cape (to meet thew dealine), but the daily average is between 400 and 450."

He was responding to a poor turnout at the new emergency licensing centre at Athlone Stadium.

He said the centre was "reasonably centrally located, accessible and there's plenty of parking". p>He added that, for now, the centre would be open from 08:00 to 17:00, and applicants would be notified by post to fetch their new licences at Gallows Hill traffic department in Green Point.

Rajaa Azzakani reports from Johannesburg that the transport department said they had received a request from the Automobile Association for clarification on the legislation governing credit-card licences.

AA asking for clarification

Lisa Mangcu, head of traffic management at the department, said the letter landed on his desk on Monday morning.

It focused on the cancellation of driving licences in ID documents after the the cut-off date at the end of this month. p>Petro Kruger of the AA said the organisation was still investigating the legality of the new licences.

"On March 12, we sent the minister of transport a letter asking what his department understood by the legislation.

On March 24, he responded by saying he had forwarded our request to someone in the department. We have had no further response."

"We are still awaiting a final legal opinion. At this stage, our decision will rest on a clarification order. The AA will ask a High Court judge to offer precise clarification of the legislation."

Kruger said the AA was not opposed to the new licences, but believed an administrative process should not be allowed to deprive anyone of the ability to drive.

- Die Burger