The Department of Transport recently launched an online system that allows vehicle drivers in Gauteng to book a timeslot beforehand to renew their driver’s licences. You can book an appointment within 10 minutes and simply arrive on the day and time that you have selected. The website advises you to take along a report from a registered optometrist when renewing your licence to speed up the process. However, you can also take the eye test at the licence centre if you choose to. The confirmation of your personal details is still a legal requirement and you must therefore visit the centre in person.

How does it work?

Step 1: Go to online.natis.gov.za.

Step 2: Indicate on the home page if you want to take your learner’s or driver’s licence test, renew your driver’s licence or make an appointment for your professional driver’s permit.

Step 3: Complete your ID number, initials and surname.

Step 4: Select your province (only Gauteng is currently available as an option) and then your test centre. The following test centres are available:

• Centurion
• Kempton Park
• Kliptown
• Kungwini Municipality
• Langlaagte
• Randburg
• Vereeniging
• Waltloo
• Xavier Junction

Step 5: Select a date and a 20-minute timeslot that suit you best. The calendar is directly linked to the different test centres and you will only be able to book timeslots that have not yet been booked out.

Step 6: Print proof of your appointment, if possible.

It is also very important to remember to take along cash on the day of your appointment at the centre.

The system will eventually be extended to include other centres in Gauteng and thereafter other provinces.

Confusion about previous systems

Before the Department launched its own booking system, The Online Company facilitated the bookings of some of the centres earlier this year. It was also reported that drivers could make appointments through www.onlinecompanysa.co.za and have their new licences couriered to them at an additional fee. However, even though this worked very well for the first few months, strikes and other internal problems at some of the centres forced the website to discontinue its services. The website’s booking service has since been deactivated; a notice explains that the service can no longer be rendered and contains an indemnity that the company cannot be held accountable for government processes that led to driver’s licences no being issued for months on end.

With the online booking service, the Department hopes to not only improve its service delivery to vehicle drivers, but to also curb corruption. Long rows which eventually forced drivers to take leave simply to renew their driver’s licences had resulted in more and more intermediaries who facilitated the process on other’s behalf by using bribery to keep people from standing in queues.

If you complete your details online, you will also get a notice if you have any outstanding traffic fines or fees. By all means – test the system the next time you have to renew your driver’s licence.