IF you are planning to go for your driving licence test, make sure the car you are using is the correct length.

RELATED LINKS: Metropolitan police DEALING with crime is one of Joburg's clear priorities in its Joburg 2030 strategy. This priority led to the establishment of the Johannesburg metropolitan police department in March 2001 to manage and co-ordinate the City's crime prevention strategy. Read more Where do I go to get a driving licence? THIS a list of addresses and the telephone numbers off all the licensing offices and testing stations in Johannesburg that offer services from the issuing of driving licences to the renewal of vehicle licences. Read more

Small cars too short for driving licence test Learner drivers have been advised to make sure the cars they use for their driving licence tests are at least three metres in length. They may be turned away if their cars are too short. April 18, 2006 By Anish Abraham IF you are planning to go for your driving licence test, make sure the car you are using is the correct length. Under newly enacted laws, the vehicles people use for their driving licence tests must meet the necessary length requirements. Failure to do so will result in the applicants being turned away, Joburg's metro police have warned. It has been reported in the media recently that learner drivers and certain driving schools have been turned away from driving licence test centres for not having cars that comply with the 3m rule. However, metro police's spokesperson, Wayne Minnaar, says not many people have been turned away. "[The cars] have to meet with the set length, from bumper to bumper," he says. This is after the Road Traffic Management Act was amended, requiring light motor vehicles used for driving licence tests to be three metres long, while heavy motor vehicles used for tests have to be at least six metres long. "This amendment was first gazetted on 27 May 2005 and individuals, driving schools and others have had almost a year to comment," says Coleen Msibi, the spokesperson for the national Department of Transport. He says it comes down to the issue of having competent drivers on the roads, not just someone who has managed to pass a driving licence test. "For someone to do the test in a small car and then move on to a bigger vehicle is like training someone to fly a helicopter and then letting them fly a Boeing," he explains. Minnaar says those who have upcoming tests have to ensure the vehicles they use comply with the new regulations, while those with no alternatives should postpone their tests. Among the cars affected by the new ruling are Minis and Smart cars. Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za