Automotive Opinion South Africa

The K53 testing may be scrapped!

In May, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) announced to Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Transport that the scrapping of the K53 driver's licence testing system is under consideration.
The K53 testing may be scrapped!
© Hongqi Zhang via 123RF

Problems with the current system

The K53 testing system has been criticised for years for being outdated and ineffective in creating competent drivers.

The system was created decades ago (though implemented in South Africa in 1998). Obviously, times have changed. In fact, the K53 test is actually the system used in the UK in the 1980s, Arrive Alive says.

Many criticise the system for no longer being relevant to our congested, high-speed roads and highways. The road test does not evaluate how the driver fares on highways or speeds over 60km/h.

With the K53 system being flawed and sometimes impractical, new drivers begin to replace what they’ve learnt with bad habits.

What will the change mean?

The government has been mulling a revamp of the system for some time. News about a potential change first made headlines at the end of 2016. The RTMC, however, announced last month that scrapping the system is under consideration.

Deputy transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga has since expressed the transport department’s support for the RTMC’s K53 review.

The review could take over two years to implement, however...

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