Latest news with #BarbaraCreecy
IOL News
a day ago
- Automotive
- IOL News
Transport Department races to clear 733,000 driving licence backlog after machine failure
The Transport Department aims to clear the 700,000 backlog in driving licence card printing within three to four months after its machine was fixed following its breakdown in February. Image: Independent Newspapers Archives The Transport Department is racing against time to wipe out backlogs totalling more than 700,000 outstanding driving licence cards to be printed after its printing machine broke down in February, when its electronic cards were damaged. Responding to sets of parliamentary questions from parliamentarians from Rise Mzansi, EFF and MK Party, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said the driver's licence card machine has now been fixed and is currently dealing with the backlog of driving licence cards that must be printed. 'As of 15 May 2025, the backlog count is estimated at 733,000 cards,' said Creecy. The backlog was down from 747,748 outstanding cards recorded on May 2. The machine has suffered major breakdowns totalling 129 days from 2022/23 to date, with only 38 days recorded in the current financial year alone. 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 ✕ Ad loading The department incurred R11.9 million in repairs and maintenance costs and sent R4.3 million in overtime payments during the same period. Creecy said the card production facility has since extended working hours for the staff members in the card production facility to ensure the reduction of the backlog. 'The services of card production have been restored. Already over 200,000 cards have been printed. We hope to clear the backlog within three to four months,' she said in reply to EFF MP Babalwa Mathulelwa dated May 12. She had previously indicated to EFF MP Lencel Mashidika Komane late in May that the backlog could be resolved in six to seven months. Creecy explained that the current driving licence printing machine, introduced in 1998, operates on outdated technologies that the Original Equipment Manufacturer no longer supports. 'The current equipment is obsolete, and we are in the process of mitigating the risk of equipment failure with an interim solution,' she said without elaborating. Last year, Creecy said in parliamentary replies that a service provider had been appointed to assist the department in rolling out the new driving licences. Three machines were to be procured – two for the primary site and one for a disaster recovery site – at a cost of R334 million each. She had stated that the tender has been finalised and a service provider appointed to deliver a turnkey solution for the personalisation of smart card driving licences after advertising of the tender, both local and international had an equal opportunity to bid. But the announcement of the new service provider never went ahead after the Auditor-General found non-compliance with procurement processes, a move that prompted Creecy to seek a court order to block the awarding of the contract. Asked long-term measures to ensure the critical national service related to the printing of driver's licences was never compromised, Creecy said the department intended to acquire a new machine. 'However, as a result of procurement irregularities noted by the Auditor-General, the minister directed that a declaratory order on the tender be sought to ensure that no further possible irregular expenditure occurs,' she said in a reply to Komane. She gave a similar response when asked by Rise Mzansi MP Songezo Zibi about the progress made to acquire a new driving licence card printing machine. 'The minister has directed that a declaratory order be sought from a competent court on the tender to acquire a new machine, to ensure that no further irregular expenditure occurs.'
IOL News
2 days ago
- Automotive
- IOL News
Call for Transport Minister to suspend penalties for motorists amid driving licence backlog
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has asked Transport Minister to suspend penalties related to expired driver's licence cards for motorists who have applied for renewals. Image: File photo: INLSA The Department of Transport is facing mounting pressure to address a significant backlog of driving licence cards, currently standing at 690,000, following the breakdown of its sole card-printing machine in April. As the department works to reduce this backlog, which has decreased by approximately 43,000 from the previously reported 733,000, stakeholders are urging Transport Minister Barbara Creecy to waive fines for motorists affected by the delays. The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse's (Outa) Advocate Stefanie Fick on Tuesday wrote to Creecy and asked her to consider announcing a moratorium on fines related to expired driver's licence cards for motorists who have already applied for renewals, and that no temporary licences should be required until all backlogs have been cleared. She also requested the department to consider issuing public communication of this moratorium through all official channels, including the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), provincial traffic authorities and traditional and social media. 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 ✕ Ad loading Fick added that the department must provide clarity to all enforcement officials to prevent unwarranted fines and harassment of motorists. Department of Transport spokesperson, Collin Msibi, confirmed it received the letter which is being processed internally for the Minister's attention. Fick said it was important to note that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the department recognised the exceptional circumstances and issued blanket extensions on the validity of expired driver's licences, allowing the public reasonable leeway while the system was caught up. She said this temporary relief was an example of fair, compassionate governance in the face of operational disruption. 'We urge the department to take a similar approach now, especially given that this crisis stems from internal systemic failures rather than a national emergency,' Fick said. Creecy recently revealed that the department spent over R12 million on the repair and maintenance of the printing machine over the past three years. The department has been trying to procure another machine for years, but repeatedly cancelled and reissued the tender. In August last year, the department announced that it had appointed Idemia and Security South Africa as the preferred bidder for a tender to print new driving licence smart cards. However, Outa's investigation uncovered irregularities and handed the report to Creecy, who in turn passed it to the Auditor-General (AG). In March, Creecy announced that the AG investigation identified instances of non-compliance with the required procurement procedures, and added that she instructed her department to lodge a High Court application for a declaratory order regarding the tender. Fick said Outa is still waiting for clarity on the contract process. Cape Argus
IOL News
2 days ago
- Automotive
- IOL News
Outa urges Transport Minister to suspend penalties for motorists amid driving licence backlog
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has asked Transport Minister to suspend penalties related to expired driver's licence cards for motorists who have applied for renewals. Image: Karen Sandison / Independent Media The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has called for the Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, to waive fines and temporary licences for those whose new driving cards are stuck in the ongoing backlog. This comes as the Department of Transport (DoT) scrambles to clear the driving licence card backlog, which was caused by the breakdown of the sole card-printing machine earlier in April. Last week, DoT reported a backlog of 690,000, down roughly 43,000 from the 733,000 that was announced a week ago. On Tuesday, Outa's Advocate Stefanie Fick wrote to Creecy and asked her to consider announcing a moratorium on fines related to expired driver's licence cards for motorists who have already applied for renewals and that no temporary licences should be required until all backlogs have been cleared. She also requested the department to consider issuing public communication of this moratorium through all official channels, including the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), provincial traffic authorities and traditional and social media. 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 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. Next Stay Close ✕ Fick added that the department must provide clarity to all enforcement officials to prevent unwarranted fines and harassment of motorists. 'Recent reports confirm that the Department of Transport is currently experiencing a backlog of approximately 733,000 to 747,500 unprinted licence cards, with delays attributed to issues with card machines, administrative inefficiencies and high demand," Fick said, adding that many law-abiding motorists could be issued fines by law enforcement officials for not physically possessing their renewed cards, even when they hold receipts or valid temporary licences proving compliance. She said this practice would be unfair, adding that the public is being penalised for failures which is not their making but because of a broken system that is currently unable to meet service delivery expectations. DoT spokesperson Collin Msibi confirmed that the department received the letter and it is currently being processed internally for the Minister's attention. Fick said it was important to note that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the DoT recognised the exceptional circumstances and issued blanket extensions on the validity of expired driver's licences, allowing the public reasonable leeway while the system was caught up. She said this temporary relief was an example of fair, compassionate governance in the face of operational disruption. 'We urge the department to take a similar approach now, especially given that this crisis stems from internal systemic failures rather than a national emergency,' Fick said. Creecy recently revealed that the department has spent over R12 million on the repair and maintenance of the printing machine over the past three years. The department has been trying to procure another machine for years, but repeatedly cancelled and reissued the tender. In August last year, the department announced that it had appointed Idemia and Security South Africa as the preferred bidder for a tender to print new driving licence smart cards. However, Outa's investigation uncovered irregularities and handed the report to Creecy, who in turn passed it to the Auditor-General (AG). In March, Creecy announced that the AG investigation identified instances of non-compliance with the required procurement procedures, and added that she instructed her department to lodge a High Court application for a declaratory order regarding the tender. Fick said Outa is still waiting for clarity on the contract process.
The South African
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The South African
Government must suspend driver's licence fines in 2025
No driver's licence fines should be issued until the Department of Transport (DTC) gets its affairs in order and the printing backlog is overcome. This is the assertion of the Organisation for Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) amidst uncertainty over the delay. Previously, following yet another card-printing breakdown, the DTC said the backlog would take four months to clear. In May, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy confirmed that around 733 000 driver's licences sat in the queue. Nearly half of the 1.3-million backlog peak in 2022/2023. Although the DTC usually advises 14 days to process a licence application, this has risen to six weeks since the printer breakdown. To avoid driver's licence fines, authorities advise holding onto your expired license card, along with proof of a new application. The new card account and printing tender has stalled under Minister Creecy. Image: File Furthermore, the DTC said 269 000 back-logged cards had already been cleared. However, those numbers don't add up. At the current printing rate of 2 400 cards per day, it will take more than one year to clear the backlog, reports BusinessTech . As such, the Organisation for Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) is calling on Minister Creecy to suspend driver's licence fines. The non-profit initiative says government should waive fines and temporary licence process for those who have cards stuck in the system through no fault of their doing. OUTA believes it's unfair to fine motorists who are waiting for their card renewals. Likewise, in light of on-going printer breakdowns, OUTA argues the validity of all licence cards should be extended to 10 years. The civil action organisation has been highly involved in the license printing debacle. It was OUTA's independent investigation last year that uncovered significant irregularities in the tender procurement process. Driver's licence backlogs peaked in 2022/23 at more than 1.3 million. Image: Gallo/Jacques Stander In turn, the Transport Minister passed OUTA's report onto the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA). AGSA noted that while a new printing machine cost R486 million, a tender worth R898 million was irregularly awarded. Many believe this near doubling of cost was to facilitate new digital Driver's Licence Card Accounts (DLCAs). French company, Idemia, raised plenty of eyebrows when it won the massive tender. The firm is considered a leader in biometrics and smart technology and has associations with government all around the globe. There is still no clarity from the department on whether a new tender will be awarded. Or if driver's licence fines will be suspended in the meantime. 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.
News24
3 days ago
- Automotive
- News24
E-tolls, the wait for answers: Gauteng's debt decision hangs in the balance, says Lesufi
Gauteng motorists with e-toll debt from before 11 April 2024 must wait for Transport Minister Barbara Creecy's decision on the debt, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said. X/@anccaucusgpl Be among those who shape the future with knowledge. Uncover exclusive stories that captivate your mind and heart with our FREE 14-day subscription trial. Dive into a world of inspiration, learning, and empowerment. You can only trial once. Start your FREE trial now
