Dubious driving schools colluding with licensing officials to offer learner drivers a “first-time guaranteed pass” in exchange for a bribe will soon be subjected to tighter regulations, transport minister Fikile Mbalula said on Monday.
These and other measures will be crucial in the drive to tackle corruption that continues to bedevil the vehicle and driver licensing system, Mbalula said. Rampant corruption at licensing centres is costing the fiscus billions of rand.
During a media update on investigations into allegations of misconduct and licensing irregularities at the department of transport, Mbalula said the National Road Traffic Amendment Bill, which was recently adopted by the National Assembly, will allow for tighter regulation of driving schools and enforce appropriate standards for teaching learner drivers.
It also deals with fraud and corruption in the road traffic environment, and increases penalties for those who fail to comply with the rules. Allegations have been made that many dodgy driving schools with little interest in teaching the rules of the road are colluding with licensing officials to offer learner drivers a “first-time guaranteed pass”.
Mbalula said the regulation of driving schools through legislation will enable closer scrutiny of the conduct of these schools and ensure that uniform standards are applicable to all.
“This will also enable the inspector of driving schools established by the bill to hold these schools accountable to the set standards,” Mbalula said.
In 2017 the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) was authorised by the presidency to investigate various allegations of misconduct and licensing irregularities by the national department of transport. Apart from collusion in driver’s licences, the SIU looked into unlawful or improper conduct in the registration and licensing of motor vehicles; registration of motor vehicle ownership or licensing details; issuing of professional driving permits; conversion of foreign driving licences and military driving licences; and issuing of roadworthy certificates and operator fitness cards.
The SIU has until March to complete its investigations. It has, however, presented an interim report identifying a number of administrative actions to be taken by various authorities. It identified the systemic and operational challenges that gave rise to the corruption and malfeasance, including massive backlogs and the desperate need for driving licences and roadworthy certificates, which many need to earn an income.
The SIU said corrupt officials and criminal middlemen exploit systemic weaknesses with driving schools paying driving licence examiners to issue licences irregularly and/or fraudulently. Furthermore, a lack of and/or weak management and oversight mean roadworthy certificates are often issued without vehicles being tested. Unroadworthy vehicles are a huge problem in SA and are often a cause of accidents.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation [RTMC], the statutory body tasked with the overall safety of road users, said it was looking into more than 800 cases of the fraudulent issuing of learner and driver licenses, roadworthy certificates and vehicle licensing discs. The corporation’s CEO, Makhosini Msibi, said the fraudulent issuing of certificates and discs has resulted in the state losing at least R3bn in revenue to date.
“The priority is Gauteng where we have licence disks to the value of R1.2bn that have been fraudulently issued and those vehicles are out on the road ... it’s followed by Mpumalanga and the Free State,” Msibi said.
SIU head Andy Mothibi said: “There is a chain of corruption in licensing centres. It includes driving schools, runners, those willing [to participate]. So we would like to crack that criminal chain. We will engage with the RTMC to ensure we bring [these fraudulent activities] to an end.”
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