Pretoria - North West MEC for Human Settlements, Public Safety and Liaison, Nono Maloyi, says government can no longer afford to have more road carnage due to unscrupulous drivers.
Maloyi sent this warning during the official launch of the second Computerised Learner and Driving Licence Centre in the Ramotsheremoiloa Municipality, which aims to eliminate fraud and corruption in the attainment of learner and driver's licences.
He said more than 14 000 people were dying on South African roads every year, and government was losing over R50 billion annually due to road accidents.
"This is a starting point to eliminate loss of life on our roads," said Maloyi.
Speaking during the opening of the centre in Lehurutshe, Maloyi said the system was difficult to manipulate and made it difficult for corrupt learners and officials to acquire examination questions before the test was administered.
"The system is computerised and further prevents the possibility of leaking questions before the actual learner driver test. It also prevents corrupt examiners from assisting learners and only the registered applicant may write the test, as they are identified through fingerprints," said Maloyi.
He said provision had been made for registered applicants, who were computer illiterate, to be examined manually, but under constant and serious monitoring.
The programme was first launched in the Rustenburg driver's licence testing centre and it will be rolled out throughout the province. - SAnews.gov.za
