Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has reminded motorists who are due to renew their vehicle licences in July to do so as soon as possible.
Drivers have been advised not to wait until the last minute to renew their vehicle licences as high volumes are expected.
Motorists also need to factor in a turnaround time of approximately three to four weeks for online applications, which includes the processing as well as dispatch by the South African Post Office.
A peak in renewals is expected as many licences will expire next month due to the Covid-19 lockdown licensing extension given to some motorists last year.
The City also asked that drivers only visit an office in person for urgent business and do so very early in the day or use its online options where possible.
Mayco member for finance and Executive Deputy Mayor Ian Neilson said: “With the current Covid-19 resurgence, we encourage customers to please make use of our online service offerings where possible.
“It is important to avoid crowded areas and facilities and to only visit an office for urgent business. We remind customers that the national Covid-19 regulations still apply and the City must adhere to these.
“This impacts on the number of staff operating at the same time, customers allowed in the offices, and thus turnaround times,” he said.
“We will continue to make sure that we offer services to the best of our ability and continue to liaise with the national authorities in charge of licensing to see how the customer experience can be improved amid the high volumes.
“Last year the City’s dedicated team managed to process applications for the 1.3 million registered vehicles in Cape Town in a record time of six months. This would normally take a year,” said Neilson.
“We thank customers for their patience and understanding.”