New smart driving licence testing centres (DLTCs) are being rolled out in underserved areas in Gauteng to help reduce backlogs.
The Gauteng roads and transport department said it was accelerating the rollout to ensure services are closer to communities. Smart DLTCs include Atteridgeville, Denlyn, Maponya Mall, Centurion, Protea Glen and Midrand, with the Umphakathi smart DLTC set to open soon, further expanding access to licensing services in townships and underserved areas.
According to the department, the facilities significantly improve turnaround times for licence renewals and other services.
“The centres offer online, cashless services, with licence renewals taking about 10 minutes,” roads and transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela said on Sunday.
The smart DLTCs are integrated into the eNaTIS administration system and offer vehicle licence renewals and driving licence applications, among other services.
The extension of smart DLTCs into townships, informal settlements and hostels ensures quality services are available where people live, reducing the need for long journeys to distant licensing offices, Diale-Tlabela said.
“This is about more than convenience; it’s also about road safety. When licensing is accessible and corruption-free, more people get properly licensed instead of driving illegally or obtaining fake licences.
“The centres reduce backlogs, expand capacity and respond effectively to the province’s renewal service demands. They also relieve congestion at traditional licensing offices, improving the system for everyone,” she said.
Smart DLTCs operate from Monday to Saturday. Diale-Tlabela said the centres are corruption-free, as appointment-only operations eliminate the need for runners.
There is a frequent backlog of driver’s licence cards, as the country’s only printing machine frequently breaks down. When operational, it produces up to 22,000 cards a day, but the 28-year-old printer has reportedly broken down more than 150 times.
Procurement of a new machine has been delayed by legal challenges and tender irregularities. Earlier this month the Gauteng North High Court set aside the appointment of Idemia as a preferred bidder for the driving licence card machines tender, declaring the tender was irregular and unlawful.
Pending the appointment of a new service provider under a readvertised tender, the transport department has reached an agreement with the Government Printing Works (GPW) to print driving licences as an interim measure. The GPW, which produces passports and Smart ID cards, will produce a new, technologically advanced prototype driving licence card with enhanced security to prevent forgery.
The goal is to move to a digital driving licence within the next few years. The system would replace traditional plastic cards with a secure, smartphone-accessible digital version.
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