Unqualified drivers flood SA roads
Hamilton Ledwaba, a senior official in the City of Ekurhuleni's transport department, yesterday suggested that the driver testing and licensing system had been irretrievably broken because emphasis was placed on getting drivers to pass their tests and not on perfecting driving skills.
Addressing a public transport indaba, Ledwaba said legislation had failed to correct failures in the system.
Sipho Masinga, a driving school owner and member of the Gauteng Province Driving School Association, said "quality and fair testing" were no longer held in high esteem by some examiners, which led to a decline in professional driving skills.
He said corruption, driven largely by licensing officials who played both sides of the game, was eating away at the integrity of driving schools, adding: "Our government is aware of this."
"On a daily basis, people are getting licences and they are not qualified to drive on our roads. I can tell you that 80% of driving schools are owned by licensing officials.
"We are dealing with a player and referee situation here," said Masinga.
Source: The Times