The department of transport has said it is on track with the production of outstanding driving licence cards.

It said in a statement that the bottleneck experienced between November 2021 and January 2022, following the breakdown of the machine that manufactures the cards, will be cleared off by April 2022. The renewal backlog caused by the Covid-19 pandemic grace period will be cleared by September 2022, it promised.

Motorists who apply to renew their driving licence cards before 31 March will have their driving licence validity period extended for a further three months, on the condition that they are in possession of their old driving licence cards. They must also have proof of fees paid for their application in the form of a receipt.

This extended validity period extends to those who have applied to renew their driving licence cards since 25 February.

“If you apply after the expiry date, please note that you will be required to apply for a temporary driving licence,” the department said. Motorists are therefore encouraged to apply to renew their driving licence cards before the expiry date to avoid incurring any possible additional costs.