Major backlogs at traffic departments

By Cindy Witten
13 August 2008

Traffic departments across the Western Cape suffer major backlogs with a waiting period of up to six to eight months to do a drivers licensing test. Vernon Little, acting deputy chief traffic and licensing, says that one of the biggest problems facing the traffic department is that applicants make multiple bookings at three or four traffic testing centres. He says that the ideal waiting period for a drivers licensing test is four months.

He added that another concern is that learner drivers are taught by instructors who are not qualified to teach.
“Some people resort to using instructors who are not registered, who haven’t got their instructors certificates and as a result, these people are paying exorbitant fees for a teacher who is not registered to teach,” says Little.

Staff shortages also have an effect on the process of passing out. The Province needs to employ a total of 114 extra traffic officers. 64 have thus far been trained, but 50 more still need to undergo training. Unfortunately, only three colleges in the Western Cape have been accredited to train testing officers and each college can only accommodate nine trainees per year.