In yet another state online public service glitch, the transportation department’s license card renewal system, which failed just two weeks after takeoff, has been described as an unworkable mess. The national traffic information system, which is linked to the new online portal, has been criticized as inefficient, with one applicant having to write the test for his student at midnight. Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula and the Road Traffic Management Corporation unveiled the system more than two weeks ago, with the agency saying transactions on the system had more than doubled to 296 as the system stabilized. But there are complaints that the system…
In yet another state online public service glitch, the transportation department’s license card renewal system, which failed just two weeks after takeoff, has been described as an unworkable mess.
The National Traffic Information System, linked to the new online portalhas been criticized as inefficient, with one candidate booked to write their student’s test at midnight.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula and the Road Traffic Management Corporation unveiled the system more than two weeks ago, with the agency saying transactions on the system had more than doubled to 296 as the system stabilized. But there have been complaints that the system gave errors when applicants tried to create a profile for transactions, such as bookings.
On Thursday, driving school owners blocked traffic between Olifantsfontein Road and New Road in Midrand to protest the online system for not being able to book slots for their customers. Fiona Slattery, who does bookings for driving schools, said they have struggled to register since day one of the system. “We get a message that the data provided does not match the one on the system.
“When I try to book for a student license it says ‘closing error’. I’ve been waiting two hours for a one-time PIN. The system just says ‘SMS could not be sent’ before it goes down,” she said.
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Abbey Ngwenya, from Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria, said he’s been trying to get an apprentice permit for a week, but without success.
He said the system kept rejecting his data because it already existed in the system, but he has never submitted an application before. Simon Zwane, spokesman for RTMC, insisted that the system worked fine and invited Saturday Citizen for a demonstration.
He tried to register an applicant for a leaner’s license slot, but the system kept rejecting his entry and he had to call their internal IT department several times before the system finally completed the registration. Zwane explained that the information to be entered into the system should be as it appears on the applicant’s official documents, as the system is linked to that of Home Affairs.
“Things like initials, spelling of first and last name should be in the order they appear on the ID. “The rest of the system works,” he says.
However, Zwane admitted that the system had connectivity issues and that the registration portal needed some improvements.
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