Getting your driver’s licence? Waiting times at every testing centre in Cape Town

The City of Cape Town has published its latest waiting times for learner’s, standard light motor vehicle, heavy motor vehicle and motorcycle licence tests.

The figures, released on Monday, show considerable differences in how long applicants must wait to take their driver’s licence tests at Cape Town’s various testing centres.

Driver’s licence test waiting times vary

For a light motor vehicle licence, the shortest waits are currently at Lingelethu West and Joe Gqabi.

Both centres list a waiting time of just one day.

At the other end of the scale, applicants at New Ottery face a** 94-day wait**. Parow has a 72-day wait, while Goodwood applicants face 63 days.

The City insists that the licence test backlogs are unavoidable.

“Sometimes we cannot prevent a backlog, often due to people not arriving to take their tests,” the City said in a statement.

The average waiting time for a light motor vehicle test across the listed centres is 31 days. See the full list below:

Traffic centreWaiting time (Days)Atlantis58Brackenfell32Durbanville23Eastridge7Elsies River35Fish Hoek12Goodwood63Gordon’s Bay30Hillstar15Kuils River9Lingelethu West1Joe Gqabi1New Ottery94Bellrail26Gallows Hill42Milnerton8Parow72Somerset West21Total Days549Average Days31

Learner’s licence test waiting times

Waiting times for learner’s licences also vary significantly between testing centres.

Kuils River has the longest wait at 110 days, followed by Milnerton at 72 days.

New Ottery has the shortest wait at four days.

The average waiting time for a learner’s licence test is 44 days. See the full list below:

Traffic centreWaiting time (Days)Atlantis28Brackenfell49Durbanville44Eastridge77Elsies River25Fish Hoek29Goodwood39Gordon’s Bay30Hillstar28Kuils River110Lingelethu West60Joe Gqabi66New Ottery4Bellrail25Gallows Hill28Milnerton72Parow45Somerset West29Total Days788Average Days44