The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has noted with concern misleading reports suggesting that the government intends to add a charge of R250 to make an online booking on the National Traffic Information System (NaTIS) system.

“The information emanates from the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) misinterpretation of the proposed online charges gazetted on 3 September 2021 in the draft Road Traffic Management Corporation regulations 2021,” the RTMC said on Wednesday.

The corporation has denied that the charge is an additional fee levied simply to book a space online.

“Driving licence card holders are already paying this fee when renewing their credit card format driving licences at the licensing centres. It is money paid for the production of the credit card format driving licence.

“The proposed change seeks to make it convenient for driving licence card holders to make this payment online when making a booking to renew driving licence cards. It is therefore not new and it is not an additional fee,” said the RTMC.

In an effort to improve efficiency and to cut the time that members of the public spend queuing at licencing centres, government has proposed that the public will have an option to make online payments for the renewal of driving licence cards or vehicle licence disks and to have these documents delivered directly to the address of their choice.

“This will improve service delivery, cut the time spent on queues at the licencing centres and bring about much needed convenience to members of the public and other stakeholders. The R72 transaction fee has been in existence for many years and has not been changed in more than three years,” RTMC said.

To further streamline services, it is proposed that the registration of a vehicle by a title owner and the notification of change of ownership will in future be done online.

Insurance companies will also be able to access an electronic copy of an Accident Report.

RTMC said members of the public have called for these improvements and they are in line with the new way of doing business in the digital era.

“We call on OUTA and its allies; including the Automobile Association (AA) to stop misleading and confusing members of the public in this way, but to join us in efforts to improve service delivery at licencing centres,” RTMC said.

Source: South African Government News Agency