Good news for anyone renewing their car licence disc in Cape Town

The City of Cape Town is extending its Brackenfell vehicle licensing drive-through hours to assist more motorists renewing licence discs ahead of the coming festive travel season.

According to the City, the drive-through facility’s weekday operating hours are expanding to 07:00 to 18:00 until 31 December, making it easier for motorists to renew their motor vehicle licences.

Its normal weekday operating hours are from 11:30 to 19:30, while Saturday has a smaller opening window between 11:00 and 14:30.

The City said the drive-through service allows motorists to renew their licence discs in an average of just five minutes.

Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Finance, Siseko Mbandezi, explained that since the facility opened, the Brackenfell drive-through centre has been incredibly successful.

He explained that, to date, it has helped thousands of motorists renew their vehicle licences quickly and conveniently.

“Building on this success, we are extending weekday operating hours from 07:00 to 18:00 as a pilot initiative until the end of the year. Saturday operating hours will remain unchanged from 08:30 to 14:00,” he announced.

“Following the pilot, the City will assess the service demand data to determine whether the extended hours should continue into the new year.”

Mbandezi clarified that the drive-through facility caters exclusively to motor vehicle licence renewals and is designed to provide motorists with quick and efficient service.

This is done by operating on a cashless basis and accepting debit and credit cards only to speed up the admin and payment process.

“The City thanks motorists for their continued support, and we encourage more residents to make use of the extended operating hours as we approach the busier end-of-year period,” concluded the Mayoral Committee Member.

Ordering a licence disc at a drive-through

The City of Cape Town launched the drive-through licence disc renewal facility shortly after implementing its online booking system.

The actual service centre is located in Brackenfell, on the corner of Reservoir and Kruispad Road.

After opening the first facility, the City said it had planned to work with the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) to extend the centre’s services and operations.

It also announced plans to explore other locations around the city where new centres would be established.

However, these plans have yet to manifest, meaning the service is currently limited to the Brackenfell branch.

The service allows motorists to apply for a new licence disc online; then, once their disc is ready, they receive an SMS that it is ready for collection.

Motorists can then drive to the licence centre, pull up to the booth, and present their SMS renewal notice to the staff.

Once the notice has been verified, motorists can pay by card, collect their new disc, and drive off, all without having to get out of their cars.

Gauteng’s equivalent to Cape Town’s drive-through facility is the Smart Driver Licence Testing Centres (DLTCs), which are fully integrated into the eNaTIS system and designed to operate as efficient licensing hubs.

Unlike the Brackenfell facility, these offer a range of motoring-related services, including vehicle licence disc renewals and driving licence applications and renewals.

To improve service delivery and reduce licence renewal backlogs, the DLTCs are also open on weekends, making them far more convenient for motorists who are busy during the week.

Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, has confirmed that her department plans to upgrade all Gautrain stations, except Pretoria station, to include new licence services.