The National Driving Schools Association of South Africa (ND-SASA) marched to the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) offices in Centurion on Friday.
They were demanding that the corporation ask the transport department to respond to their memorandum of grievances.
The association submitted memorandum to Department of Transport last month demanding the online booking for driver’s learners examinations, testing for driver’s license and for renewal of license disk be scrapped.
Tempers flared after the memorandum was submitted. The disgruntled operators voiced their displeasure. They say the online booking system for driver license learners examination, renewal of driver’s licenses and license disks disadvantages them.
“It has affected our business in a very very bad way because at the moment we are sitting with a backlog of clients that cannot test because we cannot get dates.”
“At RTMC, we are here to submit our memorandum related to online system that is not working for our businesses.”
The online booking system is a pilot system currently in service in Gauteng only.
ND-SASA Chairperson, Abel Mositsa, says RTMC must intervene between them and the transport department.
“The purpose of this memorandum is to request the RTMC to engage the minister of transport to respond to the association in writing, professionally so. To request RTMC, which is Road Traffic Management Traffic Corporation, to give the association ND-SASA feedback within seven days upon receiving of this memorandum. Recommendation from the association … it is recommended that the RTMC engage with the minister of transport to respond to the association in writing,” says Mositsa.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation has committed to respond to ND-SASA’s memorandum.
RTM C’s General Responsible for law enforcement, Stephen Podile, says, “So, I’ve accepted the memorandum on behalf of the corporation. After we have received it we will have a meeting. Look at the contents, satisfy ourselves and address the issues that are contained in the memorandum and then we will contact the leadership.”
Following submission of memorandum of grievances to RTMC, operators then marched to the Gauteng provincial transport department in Johannesburg.
Gauteng Transport MEC, Jacob Mamabolo, has indicated that he will meet with them in the coming days.
