Transport Minister urges South Africans to keep renewing their driver’s licences – For now

The Transport Minister and her Deputy Minister have advised motorists in South Africa to continue to renew their expired driver’s licence cards for light motor vehicles and motorcycles until the ten-year validity period comes into effect.

This comes after Cabinet approved the extension of the validity period for driving licences for Codes A, A1, B and EB.

Ministers Barbara Creecy and Mkhuleko Hlengwa welcomed the decision, calling it an endorsement for the draft notices for the extension to be submitted for legal scrutiny.

In a statement on Thursday, the Department of Transport urged South African motorists to continue to renew expired driving licence cards until the new law takes effect.

According to the department, implementing the extension requires the amendment of regulation 108 of the Road Traffic Regulations.

This amendment includes altering paragraph (a) of sub-regulation (5) of the following: (5) (a) Subject to regulation 101(2), which states:

1. a driving licence card for codes A1, A, B, and EB licence shall expire [five] 10 years from the date on which it has been ordered from the Card Production Facility; and
2. a driving licence card for codes C1, C, EC1, and EC licence shall expire five years from the date on which it has been ordered from the Card Production Facility.

The department explained that the 10-year renewal period will apply only to light motor vehicles and motorcycles.

“Heavy commercial and public transport vehicles will remain subject to the existing five-year renewal cycle, and Professional Driving Permits (PrDPs) will remain on a two-year renewal cycle,” it noted.

“The change was informed by a study undertaken by the Road Traffic Management Corporation, which recommended that extending the validity period would align with international best practice, enhance administrative efficiency, reduce the frequency of renewals for motorists, and ease service demand pressures within the licensing system.”

A decision six years overdue

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has welcomed Cabinet’s approval of ten-year driving licence cards for light motor vehicles, but called the decision “long overdue”.

“This decision is almost six years overdue, but it is a victory for motorists and for common sense,” noted the organisation’s CEO, Wayne Duvenage.

“Government has finally accepted that forcing motorists through an inefficient renewal system every five years wastes time and money without making our roads safer.”

OUTA has long supported the decision to extend the validity period for driving licences, first calling for it in September 2020, when COVID-19 restrictions severely disrupted licensing services.

The organisation researched driving licence validity periods in 35 countries across six regions and found an average validity period of 8.5 years, with periods ranging from three to 20 years.

In June 2021, it also surveyed 3,685 motorists about their experiences with the renewal system, with 65% of respondents expressing frustration with the ineffective online booking system.

Furthermore, 60% complained about long queues, around 45% pointed to poor staff attitudes, and more than 10% surveyed said they had witnessed bribery.

OUTA met with then Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula on 10 March 2022, presenting its research and motivation for extending the validity period to ten years.

“We continued supporting the reform as renewal backlogs, card-printing failures and other inefficiencies persisted,” the organisation said.

“Government took far too long to act, despite having the evidence and the power to address this unnecessary administrative burden. We are nevertheless pleased that it has arrived at the right decision,” added Duvenage.