22 May 2013

Driving schools in the Okavango Sub-district are to close at the end of this month due to expired licenses and instructors' lack of necessary documents to operate the schools.

The Department of Road Transport and Safety (DRTS) general manager in Gumare, Mr Chester Rubeko confirmed this on May 20. He said most of the schools did not have necessary papers and this would force their closure. “Some registered their schools way back and their licenses have long expired and some do not have certificates to teach learners,’’ he said.

Mr Rubeko said Shakawe and Etsha 6 driving schools were registered, however there were no qualified instructors. The DRTS boss said before the situation worsened, they warned the instructors and only five showed interest to take action. He said the preparation of such licenses was done in Gaborone and they were still working to arrange to bring such services nearer to the people.

However, Mr Rubeko said this would not affect business at all as people from other villages still used their services at DRTS. “We have clients as far as Kasane, as long as there are available dates and tests, people do come,” he added.

One of the instructors of Mashaba Driving School in Gumare, Mr Onalethata Bojosi said he had been warned, therefore he would close business as soon as learners had tested. He said that the reason why they did not renew their instructor licenses was due to the long distance they travel to do that.

“As small businesses, it makes us suffer to acquire or renew licenses as far as Gaborone,’’ he said. Mr Bojosi said that he believed the Gumare station could handle all the tests and wondered why that could not be done.

Mr Gaobone Maithamako, who also runs a driving school, shared the same sentiments as Mr Bojosi, noting that to acquire driving certificates in Gaborone was unfair to them.

He said they had pleaded with the department to bring the services closer to them, adding that they raised the issue in 2008 but no action was taken. A learner, Mr Mokolobetsi Lesoletsile said the situation was going to disadvantage them too.

“We have written and passed tests and it is going to be difficult for us to book again. It took me three months to book for the parking exam, so to me it is a draw back,” he observed. The learner said it would be better if the DRTS could at least extend the deadline by three months while the instructors try to acquire the certificates. ENDS