Gauteng provincial minister of transport Ignatius Jacobs has given his department six weeks to clear the backlog in driving-licence examinations.
This would be followed by increasing automation at all centres, Jacobs told a media briefing on Tuesday to elaborate on Premier Mbhazima Shilowa’s state of the province address.
”The premier is cracking the whip because we have been unhappy with the service people have been receiving in some of our centres.”
New licence centres would be built in 20 of Gauteng’s townships, starting with Mamelodi and Soweto.
”Yes, our officials are corrupt and we will deal with those officials,” Jacobs acknowledged.
In order to reduce fraud, motorists undergoing their driver’s licence exam could soon find themselves doing so with an official and a camera in the car. The camera would enable a second examiner to keep an eye on the test.
Centralised booking would soon be made mandatory to minimise ”human interference” and corruption.
In the near future people could also soon use SMSs and the internet to make licence bookings.
On violence and strikes in the bus and taxi sectors, Jacobs said unions were ”very militant”, which was linked to the conditions of their employment.
”We are trying where possible to talk and encourage consensual behaviour,” he said.
The province’s taxi recapitalisation programme would be officially launched on March 8. Jacobs said he welcomed the National Taxi Alliance’s decision to try to stop the process in court, instead of resorting to violence.
Jacobs said the department aimed to tar all roads in 20 of Gauteng’s townships by 2009. Road construction in 2007 would employ more than 14 000 people, of which about 4 200 would be women.
He added that the Gautrain project’s milestones were being met and that it was ”on track”. — Sapa