TWO months after a dispute between the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and the Department of Transport in the Eastern Cape about the lack of a registration certificate for the Motherwell Driving Licence Testing Centre, the issue has finally been resolved, leading to the facility recently opening its doors to the public.
PE Express reported on this issue in January this year, when it came to light that the only thing standing in the way of the facility being operational was the fact that it had no registration certificate.
The DLTC was already launched in October last year and welcomed by residents as it would provide substantial relief to the over-capacitated centres in Korsten and Kariega.
However, its doors had to remain firmly shut until the registration certificate could be acquired.
The municipality had indicated to the Eastern Cape Department of Transport that it wass ready to pay the amount of R6 909 for the certificate to be issued but needed a proper tax invoice from the department first.
The department allegedly refused to provide the municipality with a tax invoice, sending a pro forma invoice instead.
In the previous article, Ward 8 Councillor, Gustav Rautenbach, said that the matter had come to his attention in December last year and that he was disappointed as residents had high hopes for this centre.
Municipal spokesperson, Kupido Baron, also confirmed this issue, but said in January that the municipality had resubmitted its documentation to get the process of acquiring the certificate going again.
Eastern Cape Transport Department spokesperson, Unathi Binqose, had said that he would look into the “misunderstanding” between the department and the finance division of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.
Recently, Baron said that the first transactions that took place at the facility when its doors opened last week are major milestones in the municipality’s plan to improve traffic services that have been reached.
“This facility, based in the same building as the Motherwell Customer Care Centre, will now be able to equal the number of transactions that both the existing driving licence testing centres in Kariega and Gqeberha manage in a day,” Baron said.
The metro’s Director of Traffic and Licensing, Warren Prins, added that when residents from all over Nelson Mandela Bay make use of the new facility, the number of changes that he had made since becoming the head of traffic and licensing would translate to an improved experience for customers.
“This is not only one of the biggest facilities in the Eastern Cape, but it is also centrally based close to the Motherwell Shopping Centre with ample parking and access for residents from all corners of Nelson Mandela Bay.
“We became the first region in the Eastern Cape, second only to Gauteng, to introduce the online booking system for clients and managed to sidestep the pitfalls others experienced with this system.
“Clients can also pay with their debit cards at the traffic department, making it unnecessary for those going to our facilities to carry large sums of money,” he said. “We already received online bookings for the Motherwell DLTC after registering it on the Natis online portal (www.natis.gov.za) [two weeks ago].”
When the doors opened, the facility processed driver’s licence renewals, professional driving permits, learners’ licences and all temporary licence applications.
“Driver’s licence tests will be delayed for two weeks due to the online booking system recently being opened,” Prins said.
Rautenbach added that he is ecstatic about the opening of the facility.
“I am truly very happy because this centre being operational will mean so much for the metro. It will relieve the pressure off people who want services delivered there.
“It will also relieve pressure off the staff,” Rautenbach said.
“There will also be less pressure on the other two testing centres in the metro and I believe it will generate a greater income for the metro and the traffic department.”
He added how thrilled he was that the facility is specifically located in Motherwell since it will serve a very large part of the metro due to its location.
“People don’t necessarily have to travel so far to get to a testing centre anymore.”
Binqose said that the misunderstanding between the department and the NMBM was minor.
“I think there was a lapse in concentration from our guys on this side as to the difference between an actual invoice and a pro-forma invoice.
“As soon as they picked that up, everything went smoothly,” he said.
“We are quite pleased that the centre has finally been opened. It is for the service of the public and we as a public service entity have every reason to be happy.”
