The decision by Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele to extend the expiry period of the learner's licence by six months to two years is welcome news for many frustrated by long delays in the booking system.

The decision by Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele to extend the expiry period of the learner's licence by six months to two years is welcome news for many frustrated by long delays in the booking system.

The development should ease tensions between the Ministry and Gauteng magistrate Daniel Thulare, who put the spanner in the works early this month by advising holders of learner's licences to drive without licences provided they can prove their documents expired after they had tried to be tested several times to no avail.

Still, we believe the Minister will soon be surprised to find there are still delays despite the extension, thanks to the booking system itself which is manipulated by individuals acting in cahoots with driving schools to coerce the public to pay an extra fee to secure scarcely available slots.

Thus, jacking up of internal systems is still needed to solve the problem once and for all.