Pretoria - Tshwane’s first Smart Driving Licence Testing Centre has opened at the Gautrain Station in Centurion.
The centre, plus another that opened earlier in Midrand, are meant to aid and complement the Department of Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure’s efforts to address the backlog for renewing licences.
The smart and solar powered testing centre effectively reduces time spent to renew a licence and utilises new and innovative technology. Applicants no longer need to bring new ID photos.
MEC for Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure Jacob Mamabolo and Gautrain chief executive William Daches officially launched the testing centre.
Both described the centre as another value-added service to residents and the many clients who used the Gautrain regularly to commute using public transport.
Mamabolo said the department would continue to roll out its smart driving testing centres. He said the centres had new technology aimed at turning the tide against maladministration, fraud, corruption, poor service delivery and all forms of unethical behaviour.
“The new generation testing centres offer efficient service standards and serve as models for future ones. They also give us an opportunity to address various issues raised in the forensic investigation report into allegations of corruption at our testing centres,” Mamabolo explained.
Mamabolo said the decision followed a conversation he had with Daches, inspired by how well Gautrain was run, about how the rail company could assist the government to speedily deal with the backlog to renew licences during Covid-19.
Mamabolo said innovation and efficiency at testing centres made a positive economic contribution.
“If people could have their licences renewed efficiently and timeously, there would be more movement of goods, more people buying cars, more people insuring cars – all which have a positive impact on the economy.”
He said the new smart testing centres were a benchmark for what smart testing centres should look like across all provinces.
He said the would eliminated criminal opportunities for runners who take advantage of members of the public by offering shortcuts and selling bookings.
Daches said Gautrain was happy to be able to give people this much- needed service, because the stations were a hub of a movement of people. Collaboration with the department and the Road Traffic Management Corporation was necessary to make all that possible, he added.
One of the users of the service, Nolwazi Monde, said: “This has to be one of the fastest government services ever. In almost every department or customer service office you wait a long time to be assisted. Here the system is advanced and quick. We should have more of these.”
Pretoria News