helgé

The catastrophe that awaits one at the licensing department is all too well known. It seems a simple enough problem to solve, where anybody has a will. More people employed, more resources. Both are readily available. Yet why is nothing ever done about it? Do they think that the demand for drivers' licenses is going to diminish and so they would rather remain understaffed? I just cannot work out the common sense logic of it all. They surely are not short of money.

Of course Government Officials are underpaid. Just look at teachers salaries. Officials obviously are able to make extra bucks (overtime) through back door operations distributing drivers' licenses.

I arrived at the testing grounds at about 7:15 am to be greeted with the sight below.


I had phoned last week and the lady said that I did not have to wait in the queue after I had explained that I just wanted the application FORM...not to MAKE application (you can imagine the explaining that took). When officials arrived in the morning they reminded me of famous actors/actresses appearing on stage to a full house, but this lot were utterly smug. Not to mention the fact that I was reminded of what it was like during the apartheid era. It seems some areas of our lives never change.

It seems to me that the only hope left is for the press to start lobbying and investigating. Or how about something really radical - like everybody without drivers licenses refusing to get one until the situation has been sorted out! Thats never going to happen, for sure. But how much longer is this situation going to continue? When I enquired about getting a form I was told in an extremely rude manner by an Indian 'Officer' (like I was some naughty child that needed to be reprimanded for being such an upstart) to wait in the queue like everybody else.