Driver’s and learner’s licence applications will go national from January next year, Transport Minister Jeff Radebe has divulged in response to a parliamentary question.
Answering the Democratic Alliance’s Manie van Dyk, the minister noted that his department does not currently administer the booking process. Such applications are done at local authority level or managed by provincial offices on manual systems and offline independent systems.
With the implementation of the eNaTIS system, there will be information available at all driving-licence testing centres “throughout the nine provinces”. In addition, “other management information will also be available including reports on understaffing”, he said.
It was noted that 1,2-million applications for driver’s licences had been made this year, of which 474 320 had been issued. This was a pass rate of 39,3%.
Furthermore, there had been 1,95-million applications for learner’s licences, of which 1,074-million had been issued — a pass rate of just more than 55%.
Asked why there is such a high failure rate and such a long waiting period for licences, the minister said the South African pass rate “is in line with, for example, that of the United Kingdom, the basis for the South African driving test”.
“The big difference is most likely the quality of driver training available in the United Kingdom. Second, there are problems with access to driver training, especially in the rural areas.
“Third, quite a number of people have the attitude that driving is simple and as soon as they have mastered the principle of clutch control they believe they will pass the test, which is far from the truth.” — I-Net Bridge