The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has ignored the research it conducted in 2022 which recommended extending the validity of driving licence cards, and justified this by referring to research which it does not appear to have.

This emerged from information provided to OUTA by the RTMC and the Department of Transport.

In July 2024, OUTA asked both RTMC and the Department of Transport for two reports which they used when making a decision on whether or not to extend the driving licence validity period beyond the current five years. OUTA’s request was made using the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA). The first report requested was the research carried out for the RTMC in 2022, which the RTMC has previously refused to give OUTA but has now handed over – the Driving Licence Card Validity Period Review compiled by Zutari in May 2022. This report recommended extending the card validity period for drivers of light vehicles to eight years, which the RTMC and department have clearly ignored.

The second report requested was the research on which RTMC CEO Makhosini Msibi based his claim to Moneyweb in May 2024 (see here) that the card validity period could not be extended as a number of accidents were related to communicable and other diseases.

On 31 July, in response to the PAIA requests, the RTMC told OUTA it would not hand over this second research report, but the same day the Department of Transport informed OUTA that no such report exists.

In the RTMC’s response to OUTA, it stated: “The research conducted by the Corporation on the referred to subject herein falls within the ongoing research relating to the viability of extension of the 5-year driver’s license card validity period and access to this research consequently therefor stands to be refused in terms of Section 43(2) of PAIA.” Section 43(2) allows a refusal of access to information by the public if there are confidentiality concerns, including relating to the subject of research. But the department informed OUTA that “we have taken reasonable steps to find a copy of the alleged research and for that reason, it cannot be found thus it does not exist”, and provided an affidavit from a deputy director-general confirming this.

“It is clear that the RTMC is deliberately misleading the public on its so-called reason not to extend the driving licence card validity period. OUTA now questions the motives of the RTMC, as the ultimate decision to extend the validity period lies with the Minister of Transport, who in turn should not be influenced by an entity with vested financial interests in the decision. We find the reasons advanced by the RTMC to be ludicrous and lacking in any factual basis,” says Stefanie Fick, OUTA’s Executive Director.

OUTA is concerned that the refusal to extend the card validity period is linked to the tender to buy a new card printing machine and the money to be made from reprinting cards every five years. This tender is managed by another Department of Transport entity, the Driving Licence Card Account, which has so far failed to procure the promised new machine.

OUTA believes that driving licences are essential tools and should be available through a fair, legally appropriate and well-managed system. Instead, South Africa has a system managed by the RTMC that appears to be riddled with maladministration, coupled with an unacceptable poor record of road safety. This is a national crisis which government to date has failed to address adequately. 

“Unless state-owned entities like the RTMC realise that civil society organisations are not the enemy but wish to work with government to effect positive change, nothing will change. OUTA strongly believes that the only way to effect significant change is for civil society organisations and state-owned institutions to engage meaningfully and collaborate in finding solutions to the concerns,” says Fick.

On 10 July 2024, OUTA wrote to the newly appointed Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy, requesting engagement to discuss the extension and other related issues. No response has been received yet.

What’s in the RTMC’s 2022 research report: Extend cards to eight years

The Driving Licence Card Validity Period Review, written in May 2022 by consultants Zutari for the RTMC, proposes extending the driving licence card validity for light vehicles to eight years.

The report proposed that driving licence cards for light vehicles be valid for eight years instead of the current five years, while validity for licence cards for heavy vehicles remain at five years.

“The average driving licence card validity period of almost 10 years in more developed countries, with much better road safety ratios highly motivate and validates a longer renewal period in line with international best practice. However, blindly assuming international practice without critically contrasting South Africa’s context with these countries would be potentially damaging to the driving licence system and road safety in the country,” said the report.

Other points in the report include:

• The machine currently used to produce the cards has been in service since 1998 – which makes it about 26 years old – and should have been replaced in about 2009.

• The report analyses card renewals in 40 countries, 20 with a road safety ratio (deaths per 100 000 population) better than South Africa and 20 with a worse record, according to statistics gathered by the World Health Organization (WHO). South Africa recorded 25.9 deaths per 100 000 people, Sweden was safest at 2.7 deaths and Zimbabwe worst at 34.7 deaths. Those countries with a better safety record than South Africa had cards with an average validity period of 9.3 years and those with a worse safety record had validity averaging 4.4 years. However, the report noted that many of the countries with the poor safety records used paper-based licences which would explain the lower validity periods.

• The report noted that the polycarbonate cards were more durable and offered much better security against potential fraud or forgery.

• South Africans are required to have an eye test done every five years to verify visual fitness in order to renew their cards. “This seems to be the primary argument for driving licence card validity period, to assess driver fitness,” says the report.

• The report says most of the countries assessed required medical certificates to prove fitness to drive, although there was little mention of eye tests.

• “Routine eye testing during a person lifetime is recommended, yet almost three-quarters of South Africans sampled were not utilizing eye care services. It is imperative to strengthen current public health measures (including eye health promotion programs) to address the alarmingly low uptake of eye care services as well as the disparities in eye care utilization in South Africa,” says the report.

• The report recommended further research, including on the possibility of digital licences, on best practices regarding age of drivers and eye tests, and on South African socio and economic factors affecting road safety.

More information

A soundclip with comment by Advocate Stefanie Fick, OUTA Executive Director, in English is here and in Afrikaans is here.

More on OUTA’s work on the driving licence card validity extension is available here and OUTA's criticism of the failure to procure the driving licence card machine is here.

OUTA has called on government to improve its strategy on road safety. See here.