OUR traffic management value chain cuts across the three spheres of government as each sphere has a role to play in delivering efficient services to the motorists. In the last year, we communicated a bouquet of services that we have agreed on with all the Provinces. These are services that will give impetus to a new service delivery model that places the citizen at the centre. Navigating between services rendered by local government, Provincial government and national government should not translate into inefficiencies that negatively affect the experience of the citizen. Vehicle, learner and driver licencing processes have been a pervasive challenge for a long time. The experience of the citizen from the time they book for a learner’s licence to the time they receive their driving licence card is changing. The online services we are launching today are a critical building block in changing that experience, eliminate perverse incentives for corruption and take advantage of the technology revolution. The same can be said about vehicle licencing.For far too long, South Africans have associated traffic-related services with inefficiencies characterised by lethargic customer service, long queues and corruption. Today we are taking a major step that signals a break from that past and heralds a new era characterised by the Khawuleza ethos. We have taken the bold step to modernise our systems and ride the digital wave to improve service delivery. The era of long queues and service centres that close at 15h30, forcing workers to take time off work in order to access traffic services will soon become a thing of the past. Motorists will be able to access most of the services they had to travel and queue at a Driving Licence Testing Centre in the past for, from the comfort of their homes and offices.We have reached a culmination of a process that started two years ago, intended to deliver faster and innovative ways of improving the experience of our motorist in a manner that will elevate service delivery to a higher trajectory.The strides we have taken had a number of milestones, which served as building blocks towards an improved service delivery offering. In 2020, we introduced computerised learner licence testing technology in Gauteng, Limpopo, Free State and the Eastern Cape. This meant that, learners would not cram question paper answers anymore. This was followed by the introduction of digital roadworthy sheets at vehicle testing stations, which replaced the manual forms used by examiners, to speed up service delivery and combat corruption. In 2021, we extended the online booking system, first introduced in Gauteng, to the Eastern Cape. This was bolstered by the operationalisation of new generation driving licence testing centres at RTMC sites in Midrand and Centurion. This was followed by the opening of a new driving licence testing centre at the Midrand Gautrain station to provide expanded access to the motorists. A number of Provinces extended operating hours at some of their driving licence testing centres.These interventions have provided us with a firm foundation that allowed us to introduce the online payment gateway today. This gateway will assist motorists to transact from the comfort of their homes. They will have an option to select how they wish to receive their documents. The RTMC will be able to send to documents to the Post Office nearer to the applicant or have them delivered to the applicants address. This will eliminate long queues at the driving licence centre and save time for motorists.Today, we are officially launching a bouquet of online services which were previously only accessible by visiting a registering authority or DLTC. We have now made available the following services on the RTMC’s online platform effective immediately:• The online application, issuing and delivery of a motor vehicle licence and disc to the owner of the motor vehicle.• The online application, issuing and delivery of a registration certificate of a motor vehicle to the title holder of the motor vehicle for financial institutions, large fleet operators and motor dealers.• The online application and payment for a booking for renewal, in person, of a driving licence card at a driving licence testing centre;• The online application and payment for the delivery of such driving licence card, to the holder concerned.• The provision of an electronic copy of an accident report.• The online notification of the change of ownership of a motor vehicle by the current title holder or owner will be implemented at a later date. The online system has also been enhanced to allow financial institutions, insurance companies and vehicle dealerships to register vehicles directly on the NaTIS system. This will improve convenience and help to combat rampant crime associated with the change of ownership of vehicles.The benefit of these services is that motorists and private companies will be transacting directly on the NaTIS, eliminating middlemen who fuel corruption. The additional enhancements on the system will allow vehicle owners to be alerted quickly if their vehicles have been cloned. Users of the system will also be able to pay their traffic fines on the same platform without a need to drive to separate places.We have been hard at work to finalise the introduction of the online submission of eye test results by private optometrists registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. We remain hopeful that we will finalise this matter soon and bring this crucial service on stream at the earliest convenience.These services, we are rolling out today will undoubtedly improve efficiencies and minimise the time the end-user spends in a queue. The ultimate end goal is to eliminate these queues, once the full bouquet of online services has been implemented, buttressed by other improvements at DLTC level, have been successfully rolled out.In the last year, we announced the opening of two DLTCs in Gauteng managed by the RTMC in Midrand and Centurion. These centres are a new benchmark in professionalism, efficiency and service delivery which will be replicated across the country. As previously announced, these centres operate from 7 in the morning to 9 in the evening, from Monday to Sunday.Unlike in other licensing centres and registering authorities, services in these new centres have been configured in such a way that the public will not experience long queues. Runners or middlemen who peddle corrupt practices and solicit bribes from motorists are not allowed anywhere near these premises.The innovation we are launching today coupled with other interventions being rolled out to support the online services, demonstrate our determination to take service delivery in our sector to higher trajectory of innovation, faster and efficient service.I must conclude by extending a word of gratitude to the private sector for partnering with us in the delivery of ground-breaking improvements to our services. I must also thank the RTMC and First National Bank teams for working tirelessly to ensure that we realise this milestone. I also thank the South African public who have been patient with us and for making inputs where it was necessary
MBALULA LAUNCHES ONLINE TRAFFIC SERVICES
