Govt sticks to Friday deadline

2003-02-26 23:14

Johannesburg - The transport ministry gave no hope of a last-minute extension of the deadline for applications for credit card-style drivers' licences, warning late on Wednesday that old ID-book licences will be illegal from Friday.

"As from February 28, 2003, 24:00 (midnight), any driving licence included in an identity document shall cease to be a valid driving licence and shall not be used for the purpose of conversion to a new credit card format driving licence," the ministry said in a statement.

Effectively this means that those who do not apply in time will be forced to retake their learners' and drivers' tests.

Motorists who had applied by the deadline for conversion but who had not yet received their new licences would have to obtain temporary driving licences to enable them to drive legally on a public road, the ministry said.

One million haven't applied

Lisa Mangcu, Manager of Road Traffic Operations, for the transport department said an estimated one million holders of the identity book licence had not yet applied for conversion and were likely to be "illegal" by March 1.

These drivers included all categories of licence-holders - from motorcycles through to heavy duty trucks, Mangcu said.

Thousands of motorists have descended on provincial licencing offices across the country during the past week in an eleventh hour bid to get their new licences. A number of offices in major centres have extended their hours to deal with the demand.

Exemptions

Some categories of motorist are, however, exempt from Friday's deadline.

Among them are the holders of licences issued by former Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei states as well as self-governing territories.

These would be recognised as valid driving licences until September 1 and holders of these could use their old licences to convert to the new card until then, the ministry said.

Also exempt are drivers who can prove that during the period within which they were requested to convert in terms of their birth month, they were unable to do so because they were in hospital, in jail or on diplomatic or other government duty overseas.

- SAPA