Durban - Government, working together with the private sector, can deliver for South Africa, says Minister of Transport Sindisiwe Chikunga.
She was speaking at the launch of a digital vehicle registration and the transfer of ownership system in partnership with WeBuyCars on Tuesday.
The Transport Ministry said the public private partnership marked a pivotal moment in the department's ongoing platforms to improve delivery of services in the realm of traffic management.
The initiative follows the implementation of the Electronic National Traffic information System(eNatis) in 2007 and the launch of an online vehicle licensing system in 2022.
The minister said the new online registration and transfer of ownership system was aimed at mitigating the burdensome workload experienced by registering authorities, empowering officials to improve their performance in several other areas.
“The primary objective of the online service is to provide a digital platform that efficiently resolves the current challenges related to administration of registration certificates,”said Chikunga.
The minister said a secure interconnection between systems would facilitate the instant processing of transactions and, as a result, the eNatis will ensure the accurate record of ownership properly reflecting any modification.
“Any additional benefit lies in the continuous availability of the service encompassing all seven days of the week. This enables a reduction in processing times for the industry outside of regular business hours and weekends, thereby enhancing the security and efficiency of trade operations,” said Chikunga.
WeBuyCars CEO and founder Faan van der Walt said this was a revolutionary step forward for vehicle registration within SA.
“We are extremely proud and excited to be amongst the first to pilot the first registration and notice of change of ownership system with the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and the Department of Transport,” he said.
Van der Walt said over the past two years, WeBuyCars had engaged in extensive development and testing alongside the RTMC.
“This wasn't easy, and it's quite an achievement what we have done. Today we are proud to be the first to operationalise the prescribed national legislation around online motor vehicle registrations,” he said.
Additionally, he said this online platform promotes operational efficiencies within the vehicle trading and financial sector.
“The presence of our Minister of Transportation and esteemed MECs reinforces our commitment to revolutionising the transport sector. Your guidance leads us as we embark on this journey. This demands foresight, strategic planning and communication to uplift the lives of every South African,” said Van der Walt.
Addressing the Minister and other government officials, Van der Walt said, ”Your guidance leads us as we embark on this journey. This demands foresight, strategic planning and communication to uplift the lives of every South African.”
The Minister said the system through RTMC is currently in operation and invited motor vehicle dealers, financial institutions and insurance companies to conduct transactions using the system.
