Durban — Renewing your driver’s licence should cost you R250 but at Rossburgh testing station it could be as much as R1000 if you have problems with your vision.
That’s because the testing station appears to have an agreement with a private practitioner from Southway Optometrist, who claims that only eye reports from him or his practice are accepted by the testing station, while reports from other eye specialists would be dismissed.
KwaZulu-Natal Transport has warned that the practice is irregular as the payment for a licence renewal, with photos, is R250, although you would have to pay more if you want a temporary licence as well.
“The procedure is that the exam is done at DLTC (driver’s testing licence centre) but you can get one done at the optometrist,” said Thando Biyela from the KZN Transport Department.
She said the letter could be from any practice that does eye testing.
Recently, the Sunday Tribune accompanied a senior citizen to the testing station where several people, including officials, said we should start across the road where a private service provider would test our vision.
The building in Titren Road, opposite Rossburgh testing station and next to the Southway Mall, has three garage-like structures at the bottom where different services are offered.
The first section is for eye tests to renew your licence, the middle structure where a woman takes ID pictures for those applying for a temporary licences and another a section where you apply for a professional driving permit, which they said costs R2500.
“You must pay R100 before we can test your eyes,” the assistant at the first structure indicated and said the money could be in cash or paid by card. After the money was paid, the senior citizen was directed to a door which opened into a dingy room where a man wearing glasses waited for customers.
The senior citizen was told to sit and read the bottom rows of the eye chart pasted on the wall. Unlike the normal eye testing equipment used at the traffic centres which brings the letters into sharp focus and cuts out glare or shadows, this was just a chart on a wall in a room with poor lighting.
The senior citizen struggled to read the tiny letters and was told the test was over and that she had to have her eyes tested at Southway Optometrist.
“Just go across and have your eyes tested and then bring back the letter that they give you so that I can fill out the card that you must take with you to the licensing centre,” the man, who identified himself as Roshan, said. He said the eye test in the mall would cost in the region of R400.
The woman said it wasn’t clear what difference a test would make if she was still unable to read the chart and if she was allowed to renew her licence without updating her glasses.
After much haggling, the eye tester said once the woman returned with the prescription from the optometrist, he would clip a lens on to her existing glasses, according to the prescription she was given. He said she would then redo the test with him and would be given a form to take to Rossburgh testing station to renew her licence. If she wanted glasses after the test, that would cost an additional R500, taking the entire test up to almost R1000.
The Sunday Tribune asked if the senior citizen could go to her regular optician, and the man said only a letter from Southway Optometrist would be accepted. He handed her a business card with his name, Roshan Heera Singh, and told her to inform people at the practice that he had sent her.
“They are running a racket ... this is a scam,” the woman said.
“This is unacceptable. This place is so busy and it takes him a few minutes to do the eye tests. If he sees 10 people a day, that’s R1000. Very good money for doing nothing,” she said.
Biyela confirmed that the department did not have any agreements with private service providers for eye tests and that members of the public could go to any specialist for the purpose of renewing their driver’s licence.
Sunday Tribune