The government is finalising a proposal to introduce a 10-year driving licence in South Africa, says transport minister Fikile Mbalula.
Businesstech reports that Mbalula said discussions around the proposal were expected to be concluded by the end of April.
‘As part of our engagements with various stakeholders, the validity period of driving licence cards has been mooted as one of the options we should consider. We have commissioned the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) to undertake research on possible changes to the renewal time-frames.’
Mbalula said that a number of other countries on the continent required renewal at anything from six to 15 years, while some had integrated the driving licence into their identity cards.
Mbalula said the research would look at the correlation between the renewal period, safety on the country’s roads and what factors should be taken into account to revise the current five-year validity period.
He added that his department was also working to extend the operating hours of the Driving Licence Testing Centres in different provinces and keep them open over weekends.
The Automobile Association (AA) said that the 10-year driving licence was the only practical way forward for the country.
‘Along with extending the deadline, the government must now urgently finalise plans to extend the validity period of driving licences from five to ten years,’ the AA said.
According to the AA, this research is the most practical way forward. The government must implement this change as a pragmatic way of dealing with driving licence issues.
[Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/car-driving-road-dashboard-wheel-316709/]