Issued by: Sasani Communications
MINISTER MAHARAJ CONVERTS TO NEW LICENCE
On Monday 2nd March at 08h00, Minister Mac Maharaj will be the first on queue at Centurion Testing Centre to convert his driving licence to the new Credit Card Format.
A map to the testing centre is available on request.
Could you please contact myself or Samantha Presbury on (011) 784 2598 should you have any queries or require additional information;
Kind regards
(Signed)
Desiree Pooe
Account Executive.
THE ROAD AHEAD FOR NEW DRIVING LICENCES
New sophisticated technological advancement will give the Department of Transport a head start in its drive to rid South Africa of between 500 000 and one million fraudulent licences, when, on Sunday 1st March 1998, legislation for the new Credit Card Format is in force.
On Monday 2 March the CCF licences will become functionally operational. The Minister of Transport, Mac Maharaj, who will be one of the first South Africans in the queue to convert his current driving licence to the new format.
At 8h00, the Minister will be at the Centurion testing centre outside Pretoria, ready and waiting with two ID photographs and an ID book that contains his original driving licence. After having imprints of his finger-prints taken, he will complete a signature sample and undergo an eye test at the testing station. Press are welcome to attend.
Over 6,5 million drivers in South Africa will need to undergo the above procedure over the next five years.
Applications for the new licence will be done according to birth month to ensure an even flow of conversions - and June was chosen as first birth month at a draw held last week. This means that all drivers born in the month of June will be eligible for conversion between the 1 March and 31 June 1998. The birth month of July will follow, in July, and those born in that month will have between 1 July - 31 November 1998 to apply for their new licences. This process will continue until February 2003 when the full calendar of months will have been given the opportunity to convert to the new format. Please note that early applications areallowed and driving licence holders do not have to wait until their birth month is eligible for conversion.
All nine provinces have set the prices for the new licences in their respective province which have been Gazetted today. Details are available on the National Department of Transport's internet site at www.transport.gov.za.
Drivers who fail to obtain their new licence within the period allocated for their birth month or do not apply early will have to pay an additional administration fee of R5 per month. However, there will be no additional costs for those who wish to apply for their new license before their birth month is eligible for conversion.
Minister Mac Maharaj said, "The CCF licences will carry South Africa drivers well into the new millennium. The initiative is a tremendous leap into the future that will contribute towards removing unlicenced drivers off our roads. I would urge all South African driving licence holders to recognise the need for this new high security cart -and despite the possible inconvenience - to apply for their licenses within the allocated time periods."
The Minister will receive his new licence at 13h00 on 3 March 1998, when he officially opens Prodiba, the high security licence production facility in Pretoria.
ISSUED BY: SASANI COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT PERSON: SAMANTHA PRESBURY/DESIREE POOE CONTACT NO: (011) 784 2598
ON BEHALF OF: DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT CONTACT PERSON: WERNER KOEKEMOER CONTACT NO: (012) 309 3722 OR 083 310 4635