By: Nosipho Haya-Komisa
Dozens of uncollected drivers licenses in the Buffalo City Metro Municipality offices are ‘gathering dust’ at the City’s traffic department offices.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 global pandemic, people are unable to visit public service offices due to COVID-19 regulations and the fear of being contaminated by the virus.
Now the Metro is calling on its residents to come and collect their driver’s licenses from the traffic department offices, the applicants have been given 120 days.
Buffalo City Metro Spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said the city will destroy the licences if they are not collected within the 120 days.
“The Metro is urging residents to collect their outstanding license cards and avoid losing them.
An applicant has 120 days to collect their driving licence and if not collected within that period, their card will be defaced as per prescribed legislation and they will forfeit their monies. That means they would have to start the process again,” said Ngwenya.
Buffalo City Metro Traffic Chief Commander Quinton Chetty said they are trying to prevent people from making other appointments with additional costs.
“We want to prevent motorists from paying additional costs and to avoid having to make another appointment as we are fully booked until the end of February 2021 as well to avoid the long lines due to COVID-19 restrictions,” said Chetty.
Chetty said to avoid long queues and to ensure that all the motorists get their driver’s licenses, the traffic department offices will be open on Saturdays.
“Municipality will open on Saturdays in an attempt to ensure that motorists are assisted. Motorists must collect their driving licence cards at the station which they applied for their renewal,” he said.