National transport authorities replace paper vehicle renewal notice with SMS alert

19 November 2020

The City of Cape Town has been informed that the national transport authorities will no longer be issuing vehicle renewal paper notices by postal service. Renewal notices will be sent via SMS or email. The City performs the vehicle licensing and renewal function as an agent of the national transport authorities and must follow the regulations, fines and operational changes decided on at a national level. The City reminds motorists that they should also check their license disc, where the expiry date is indicated and to renew before their date or within the grace period. Read more below:

‘The City welcomes the move to paperless services as it aligns to our own efforts to operate more sustainably. The paper notifications have traditionally been sent as a courtesy to motorists and it is hoped that the new system instituted by the national authorities will be seamless. Customers are advised that when renewing their motor vehicle licence discs, to please bring along the electronic notice (email/SMS) as well as their Identity Document. It is important for customers to check if their contact information is up to date when renewing their license discs, so that they may receive their important notices and communication.

‘It must be emphasised that there is still a substantial COVID-19 renewal backlog, although it is being eradicated by the day. The City encourages motorists to make use of its online services offerings but to allow for sufficient time of at least 10 working days to complete the process, depending on the volumes.

‘The City’s motor vehicle registration and licensing offices across the metro have processed more than 940 000 transactions, including motor vehicle licensing and renewal since June 2020. There are some 1,3 million registered vehicles in the Cape Town metro that require vehicle licensing services. Officials continue working at night and over weekends to clear the COVID-19 backlog, which is a country-wide phenomenon. Under normal, non-pandemic conditions, over 100 000 motor vehicle-related transactions are performed per month across the city,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Finance, Alderman Ian Neilson.

The City reminds its customers that customer offices are traditionally at their busiest over November and December and this year it has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns. There are also strict customer-facing COVID-19 regulations in place that the City must adhere to and that affects turnaround times.

Customers should please consider making use of the City’s e-Services and convenient online payment options where possible, and only visit a customer office if there is no other way to conduct their business. Customer offices, which provide cash receiving, account enquiries, motor vehicle registration and licensing services, will be closed on certain days over the festive season. It is important for customers to make their plans ahead of time to visit offices if required or allow for sufficient time to conduct their business online or via e-Services.

Customers are reminded of the following National Transport regulations (note fines are nationally determined, the City may not unilaterally write off fines):

Discs that have expired on 31 October 2020: renew by 23 November 2020
Discs that expire on 30 November 2020: renew by 22 December 2020
Discs that expire on 31 December 2020: renew by 22 January 2021
Motor trade vehicle numbers/trade plates: renew by 30 November 2020
Driver’s and learner’s licenses: renew by 31 January 2021

What to expect when visiting an office:

COVID-19 screening at the entrances. Limited number of customers allowed in at a time due to COVID-19 regulations
Social distancing is required and must be adhered to
Visit early in the day. If queues are too long, please consider returning the following day. There are longer queues due to reduced staff allowed to work in one space at the same time at some offices as required by COVID-19 regulations.
You only need your ID for motor vehicle licensing and registration renewals
To check customer office operating hours, please visit the Operations and Service Notifications document on the City’s website or the City’s social media pages ahead of time if unsure

Contacts

To register for e-Services visit: online e-services portal
For motor vehicle registration and licensing assistance: Vehicle.Licence@capetown.gov.za
For customers who have experienced difficulties with the motor vehicle renewal and licensing online transactions: Help.Uces@capetown.gov.za

Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office