From the local paper...
Riot police were deployed at around the Cape Peninsula as emotions boiled over.
At Gallows Hill in Green Point, riot police were overrun by people desperate to get their hands on special passes so that they could return today.
Was it bread queues? A political rally?
Nope - the deadline is tonight to convert the old-style drivers license to a credit-card format. There are queues over 2 kms longs at some testing stations, with people queueing overnight...
The govt has had this changeover policy in place for over 5 years, and extended it by six months ... errr ... six months ago.
But only now, when people realise that they face a retest if they don't get the conversion, do they get off their bums and try to sort out the problem!!!
One irate applicant at the Rossburgh testing centre in Durban punched an official through her glass-partition window. Ntokoso Thabetha was slightly injured when the angry man smashed his fist through the window.
On Thursday night, angry drivers queueing at Centurion called in to say that officials there had threatened to turn fire hoses on them, and at Waltloo in Pretoria, exasperated motorists apparently turned on each other, exchanging blows.
By the way, I got mine a long while back ...
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Ian: you got fun and games like us. You know you want a license in Manila, what you do is go the LTO office and take the test. First you have a drug and blood pressure test. Long lines for this so there's a guy who will take the tests for you and sell you the receipt. Then you sit in this hot place where you take the written test on traffic rules. When you go to the comfort room you can buy the answers to the written test. You supposed to have a course of lessons (I did) and present the certificate of completion then apply for your licence. Evaluating your test results can take 2-3 months, so you can pay 600 pesos (I think that's seven Pounds) in the "Express Lane". this means you get your license today without having to wait for the test results. You can do this 3 or 4 times so you get several licenses. Then if cops take one away, you always got another.
Give you some idea: my instructor always said "never bother with mirrors" just look straight ahead. This because of anyone hits you from the rear he is liable under the traffic rules because he is supposed to avoid you. You are only responsible for your front and sides. But it's strange you very seldom see much accident anywhere.
Have good w/end.
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