The City of cape Town says it is extending the operational hours at 15 of its Driving Licences Testing Centres, due to an influx of licence renewal applications.  It comes as the national extension for driving licences and public driving permits which expired between 26 March 2020 and December 2020, draws to an end on 31 August 2021.

The following centres will operate from 8 am- 4.30 pm from Mondays to Saturdays, and 8 am to 3 pm on Sundays:

Atlantis, Bellrail, Brackenfell, Durbanville, Eastridge, Elsies River, Fish Hoek, Gallows Hill, Hillstar, Joe Gqabi, Lingelethu West, Milnerton, New Ottery, Parow and Somerset West.

The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith encouraged residents with non-urgent queries to practice patience, advising that Covid-19 protocols need to be maintained.

‘Our Driving Licence Testing Centres were challenged last year, following months of closure and a backlog of tests and transactions when they reopened. National government eased some of the pressure by extending the validity of driving licences until the end of August. So now we are experiencing an influx of people needing to renew their documentation, over and above the normal workload at the centres.

‘It is also worth noting that public facilities have to abide by Covid-19 protocols, which means that there is a limit to the number of persons allowed inside the facility at any given time. Furthermore, we have had numerous facility closures in the last month due to Covid-19 exposure, so while we are doing our utmost to assist as many people as possible, there are a number of very real challenges. We implore the public to please bear with us during this time, and to delay non-urgent transactions where possible, to help shorten the queues for the next few weeks.”

VOCfm