On the Morning of the 13 of February 2008, I went to renew my Drivers License.
What you need to renew you Drivers License:
4 x Black and White ID Photo's
1 x Official SA ID book
1 x Copy of your ID Book
R180
7 Hours of your time
Patience….
Armed with my ID, four Black and White photographs and a good breakfast.
I decided to arrive at 5h30, and this is how my day went.
05h30: Arrival at Polokwane Traffic Department and stand in a queue of about 40 people. Make friends with the people standing in front of me and behind me.
05h38: Side Kick arrives, bringing along 2 x deck chairs, and a flask of coffee.
Naturally we sit and wait until the Traffic Department in Polokwane opens at 08h00.
08h03: They open the doors, and this line of 40 is now about 250 people who enter. There are two gentlemen at the door directing people where to go.
Drivers License Renewal to the front Information desk, where they check your Drivers validity and documents, and give you a number.
I was Number 19.
Boy was I chuffed, in the top 20, "I am going to be quick!" I thought to myself as I was directed to room 35 which by know was filled with about 130 people all wanting to write their learners.
The Traffic Department does not worry about fire safety standards and maximum capacity of their building, clearly.
Not to worry, how long could it possibly take, what is it they need to do:
1st Test Your Eyes
2nd Attach your Photo's to the documents
3rd take fingerprints
4th Pay.
This should take about 15 minutes, 25 max.
So we wait. Those waiting to write their learner, there are many, along with those waiting to renew their licenses.
08h30: The room gets Full, No official in sight to let anyone know what is going on.
Crowd begins to get rowdy.
08h45: A gentleman goes to call an official, who comes strolling very slowly towards, the angry mob.
He explains they will be with us soon.
09h12: All those who are there to renew their drivers licenses, are requested to go and stand outside.
We do this, and wait, all 184 of us.
09h23: a lady comes and tells us we must be in room 35 or they will not help us.
Now the crowd really gets wild.
An official comes, and asks us to remain, and to be patient, they will get to us shortly.
09h28: (By know, you can see I had nothing better to do, but to observe and take note) They call number One closer so as to test his eyes..
OK, so they have now begun.
09h58: I decide to go investigate why they have not called more people, Number 8 and the rest of us are still standing there.
I find my way to this little office, where the Eye Tests are being done, a gentleman is standing in the door way, clipping the Photos to smaller size and controlling who goes in and out of this little office.
I note that they take one for renewal of drivers, and then one for their learners.
I do not understand why they do not get more people to do this, they only have 2 people doing the eye tests. Surely if they had 4 they could double the production.
It is clear, this is a government department, they are used to the queue, and they do not run this place like a business. They have the clients, if they just doubled up on the employees, they could help more people, faster and thus make more money. It would also create more jobs.
Anyway, so I return to the group of waiters….
10h23: they call 12, 13 and 14… this is now good news, as I am 19.
I stand closer, waiting…. Feet getting tired of the standing….
10h30 something: I am now getting impatient…. 12 goes inn.
Finally….
10h47: I am at the door entrance, I have my photos, clipped to the appropriate size, and am about to go in.
10h57: I go inn…. It is about time. They greet, they take my photo's , and stick them onto a new document, which has place for your finger prints.
11h03 I am doing my eye tests. This is strange, when you are in the office, the whole process, takes about 3 minutes, it should not have taken so long before I got there.
I did notice however that they took their time about everything they did. Nothing is done with Pride, or as thought they have a Goal in life. This is just a JOB.
11h06: I stand in the Queue to pay.
The row on the left is for license payments, and the row on the right is for booking of tests etc.
Here is where you have to be quite alert, as people do not go by number, there are may people in this row, waiting to pay for all sorts of things, and there are only 2 counters. People push in front all the time.
I take a quick scan, there are about 15 people in front of me.
I am bore, so I estimate how long this row should take. 15 people, at 3 minutes a person, that makes 45 minutes I still have to wait, until I can pay and get the hell out of this place.
11h13: they first person at the counter is finished and the queue moves by one.
Now the phone rings, and the teller, answers the phone and has a long conversation before helping the gentleman at the counter.
So I was wrong, it takes about 5 minutes per person to pay.
11h23: The teller finishes with the 2nd person. She gets up and walks out. Passing us, walks down the passage, and into an office.
11h34: this large Afrikaans gentleman in front of me, who was number 18 by the way, decides to go and look for the teller, while I keep his place.
11h36: One of the officials form earlier that day, walks by, and is attacked by the mob, demanding to know why we are waiting for so long and why the service in the Polokwane Traffic department is so pathetic.
11h46: number 18 returns, explains that he eventually tracked her down sitting in another office, having a fat conversation about her car and husband. If it is true or not, I will never know.
11h47: the Teller arrives back, the crown cheers, and claps.
She suddenly walks even slower. She gets to her post and begins to help clients.
This Goes on for a while, at the same time as she answers the phone, chats to her colleague, and takes her time.
12h08: This poor official who was attacked earlier, arrives, and explains that those outside will have to wait until after lunch to be served, and that the doors will be closed. This inside, will be served before they go on lunch.
Thank goodness, I am now number 8 in the queue.
12h32: Some very important Traffic officer, with many wings on his lapel, and fancy looking gear, comes to interrupt the slow tellers, and keeps them busy on their terminals for the next 5 minutes for something he needs.
After a while, this official, who keeps getting shouted at for their poor performance and lack of professionalism, goes into the office, and has a word with the tellers.
I am not sure what he said, But after that, those tellers, helped 1 person per 1 minute.
It was amazing. I am not sure it was because they realised there were still many people they would have to help before lunch, or what. But I do know. They can do it if they want to….
12h47: I got to the teller, handed her my documentation, and paid. Not even 30 seconds. She then informed me that I would have to wait 5 weeks for my card.
12h49: I was in my car, very relieved it was all over.
I feel the Polokwane Mayor, Polokwane Chief Officials, Polokwane Chief of Traffic and all the Polokwane Councillors, should be embarrassed by they way they run this place. It is absolutely pathetic they way things are done at the Polokwane traffic department. They should all go to a school of business to learn how things are done in the business world. They should even attend a customer service course.
Build more, offices, more tellers, employ more staff, do anything, just improve the service so that the Polokwane Community and those living in and around the City can utilise this place and get a decent service. Something, that I feel should have take 15 to 25 minutes, took me 5 hours from the time they opened the door, and this is only because I stood in the queue form 05h30. I do not want to know what time number 150 finished at that pathetic place. To those who work there, you should be embarrassed.
disappointed
Polokwane Citizen.
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