South African motorists could soon be renewing their ordinary driving license cards far less often, following proposed changes by the Department of Transport.
The Department has gazetted draft amendments that would extend the validity period of driving license cards for ordinary motorists from five years to 10 years. The proposal applies to license codes A1, A, B and EB.
The proposed change is aimed at reducing the pressure placed on South Africa’s driving license card system, which has experienced significant challenges and backlogs in recent years.
Importantly, the 10-year validity period has not yet come into effect. The proposed regulations are currently open for public comment, with submissions due within 30 days of publication.
For motorists whose current licenses are expiring, the existing five-year system remains in place until the new regulations are formally implemented.
The proposal would also mean that motorists who qualify could eventually spend less time and money dealing with license renewals — while reducing the workload on the country’s license-card production system.
What motorists should know
- Ordinary driving license cards could move from 5-year to 10-year validity.
- The change is proposed, not yet fully implemented.
- Heavy and commercial vehicle license categories would continue to have different validity requirements.
- Professional driving permits would also continue to follow their existing renewal periods.
- Motorists should continue following the current licensing rules until the new regulations officially take effect.
For South African drivers, the proposed change could be an important step towards a simpler and more efficient driving license system.
Indicate for a Mate – Safer Roads start with responsible drivers.
News link: 10-year driving license extension officially gazetted – BusinessTech