By Neelam Rahim

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has announced the government has approved replacing the present driver’s license card with a new one with more certain design features. The new card will comply with the international driving licence standard, piloted from November next year until March 2024.

Mbalula addressed the media at the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) offices in Midrand on Friday morning.

Mbalula said the decision to enhance the cards with safer design features followed consultation with international best practices.

The government has been under pressure to introduce driver’s licence cards with a 10-year validity period.

AfriForum had threatened to take the government to court over the matter.

There were also severe backlogs experienced with the cards during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns.

Mbalula said the current driving licence card was introduced in 1998, so the production equipment was procured in the same year. “The technology has become obsolete,” he said.

Changes to the driving licence card will be published within the government gazette. “This will enable us to commence the procurement process for the new production infrastructure in October 2022,” he explained.

According to the transport department, the current driving licence card and the equipment accustomed to producing it will be decommissioned on 1 April 2024. There will be a five-year transition period from the old card to the new one. The minister said the current cards will be recognised as valid licence cards until 31 March 2029.