Latest news with #DrivingLicenceCardAgency
The Herald
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Herald
Is it time for the government to rethink how we issue driver's licences?
After months of frustration for motorists, the transport department has confirmed the country's only driver's licence card printing machine is now up and running. The machine broke down on February 5, halting production and creating a backlog of 747,748 licence cards. Gauteng leads the list with more than 250,000 outstanding cards, followed by KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. To catch up, the Driving Licence Card Agency will extend staff working hours — but the backlog also depends on how many new orders arrive each day. With long waits, outdated systems and only one card printing machine serving the country, is it time for a complete rethink?
IOL News
02-06-2025
- Automotive
- IOL News
Driving licence printing machine fixed but huge backlogs remain
The Department of Transport has repaired the driving licence card printing machine after months of downtime, but a significant backlog of unprinted cards remains. Image: File Millions have been spent on repairing and maintaining the driving licence card printing machine. The Department of Transport announced earlier last month that the driving licence printing machine was fixed and operations have resumed. The machine had been inoperative since February 5, resulting in a backlog of 747,748 unprinted cards. To reduce the backlog, the Department of Transport's Driving Licence Card Agency extended the working hours of its staff members. In light of this, in a parliamentary question and reply, Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi asked Transport Minister Barbara Creecy about the number of times the machine broke down and how much it cost to repair it. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Zibi then asked how many employees it takes to operate the machine and how much overtime pay has been paid to employees due to lost printing time because of machine breakdowns. Zibi also asked Creecy if there was progress in acquiring a new card machine. Creecy said the backlog of driving licences as of May 15 was estimated at 733,000 cards. Creecy revealed the machine's major breakdowns in the past financial year are as follows: 2022/23 - 26 working days 2023/24 - 48 working days 2024/25 - 17 working days 2025/26 - 38 working days Over the same period, repairs and maintenance costs: 2022/23 - R9,267,862,33 2023/24 - R1,651,772,57 2024/25 - R544,747,64 2025/26 - R624,988,10 (to date) Overtime payment, over the last few financial years, has been: 2022/23 - R1,435,376,79 2023/24 - R1,608,102,52 2024/25 - R1,351,473,78 2025/26 - R0,00 Creecy said it takes four people to operate the machine. About progress made with the process to acquire a new driving licence card printing machine, Creecy said: 'The Minister has directed that a declaratory order be sought from a competent court on the tender to acquire a new machine, in order to ensure that no further irregular expenditure occurs.'
The Herald
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Herald
Driver's licence card machine back on track after February breakdown
Staff members at the Driving Licence Card Agency, an entity of the transport department, will work overtime to tackle the backlog in the issuing of cards after the country's only printing machine has been repaired and operations have resumed. The machine had been out of operation since February 5, which has led to a backlog of 747,748 outstanding cards to be printed, said department spokesperson Collen Msibi. The backlog breakdown per province at the beginning of this month is: Gauteng: 252,745; KwaZulu-Natal: 115,020; Western Cape: 108,402; Mpumalanga: 66,833; Limpopo: 61,769; Eastern Cape: 55,393; North West: 39,983; Free State: 33,741; and Northern Cape: 13,862. 'With the catch-up plan, updates on the backlog reduction will be provided as and when significant progress is made. However, the backlog reduction is also dependent on the number of orders received on a daily basis,' Msibi said. The machine is more than 20 years old and regularly breaks down. Its p arts need to be imported when there are breakdowns, according to previous reports. TimesLIVE
The South African
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- The South African
South Africa's licence card printer is finally back
South Africa's licence card printer is finally back, but here's why you'll still be waiting. The only driving licence card printing machine is finally up and running again after a three-month breakdown, the Department of Transport confirmed on Thursday, 8 May. The outage, which began on 5 February, created a crippling backlog of over 747,700 unprinted driving licence cards, leaving hundreds of thousands of South African drivers stuck in limbo. In a bid to tackle the backlog, the Department of Transport announced extended operating hours at the Driving Licence Card Agency (DLCA). Officials aim to fast-track production and reduce the overwhelming number of pending cards. 'With the current catch-up plan, updates on the backlog reduction will be provided as and when significant progress is made,' the department stated. However, they cautioned that daily incoming orders continue to slow progress, and delays will persist in areas with the highest backlog volumes. South Africa relies on a single licence card printing machine—a 26-year-old relic that has broken down more than 160 times. As expected, these breakdowns have become more frequent, causing major disruptions nationwide. Despite attempts to introduce new, secure smart cards and modern printers through a national upgrade initiative, bureaucratic delays and tender issues have brought the project to a halt. If you're waiting for a licence card, brace yourself—some provinces are bearing the brunt of the backlog: Gauteng: 252,745 cards KwaZulu-Natal: 115,020 cards Western Cape: 108,402 cards Mpumalanga: 66,833 cards Limpopo: 61,769 cards Eastern Cape: 55,393 cards North West: 39,983 cards Free State: 33,741 cards Northern Cape: 13,862 cards These numbers highlight the scale of the crisis and underline the urgency for a complete overhaul of South Africa's licence printing infrastructure. While the government works to clear the backlog, South Africans are urged to apply for temporary driving licences. These will remain valid while permanent cards are being processed. The wait might be long, but there's hope on the horizon. Still, without new equipment and faster processes, South Africans could face similar chaos again. Stay tuned with The South African as South Africa's licence card printer is finally back. What else would you like to know about the Licence card machine? Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
