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The Department of Transport and Public Works wishes to clear up confusion on two issues: 1) the date on which licensing service centres, registering authorities, and vehicle testing centres in the Western Cape will reopen; and 2) the validity of a variety of documents that expired since the lockdown began on 26 March 2020.
Licensing service centres, driving licence testing centres, and vehicle testing stations were permitted to open from, 1 June 2020. However, this was subject to meeting all the requirements of the national COVID-19 health and safety directives.
About half of the 77 registering authorities in the Western Cape will be ready to open this week. About one-third of the driving licence testing centres and public vehicle testing stations will be ready to open this week. All the private vehicle testing stations will be ready to open this week. The remaining facilities will open when their premises have been made safe for staff and members of the public. If you would like to access any of these services, please contact the office in question to find out whether it is open before you venture out.
Government Notice 544 published by the National Department of Transport on 20 May 2020 provides that learner’s licences, driving licences, motor vehicle licence discs, temporary permits, roadworthy certificates and professional driving permits that expired in the period from 26 March 2020 up to and including 31 May 2020 are deemed to be valid and their validity period is extended by a further 90 days from 1 June 2020.
The same notice provides that motor trade number licences that expired in the period from 26 March 2020 up to and including 31 May 2020 are deemed to be valid and extended for six months from the date of publication of the notice (i.e., six months from 20 May 2020).
Government Notice 493 published by the National Department of Transport on 4 May 2020 provides that public transport operating licences and tourist transport service accreditation certificates that expired during the lockdown are deemed to be valid and holders have a grace period of 90 days to renew these documents from the date of publication of the notice (i.e., 90 days from 4 May 2020).
The public is advised that, with effect from, 1 June 2020, the standard validity and renewal periods that apply to all the abovementioned documents will be in effect again.
Jandre Bakker
Head of Communication
Department of Transport and Public Works
Email: Jandre.Bakker@westerncape.gov.za