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Learner's licences will now be valid for two years instead of 18 months, the transport department announced on Monday.
It also extended testing hours for the licenses to 17:00 on Saturdays and from 07:00 until 13:00 on Sundays, it said in a statement.
"These measures form part of government's efforts to improve service delivery and will enable us to provide a better service to driving licence applicants," it said.
"Given the challenges relating to service delivery and administrative bottlenecks at certain driving licence testing centres, this is being done with the view to improve the quality of service."
High demand for driver's tests
The department has come in for criticism with thousands of learner drivers unable to obtain dates for their driving tests before their licenses expire.
Gauteng Magistrate David Thulare recently told reporters he would not convict learner drivers if they could prove that they had tried and failed to secure testing dates.
"The law does not expect impossibility," Thulare reportedly said.
On Monday, the transport department said it was rolling out a computerised testing system that would improve efficiency and help combat corruption.
The department also plans to teach "road safety education" as part of the curriculum in schools.
"Learners in Grade 11 will be able to acquire their learner's licences and their driving licences as they complete Grade 12," it said.
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Corrupt traffic cops arrested
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Six traffic officials have been arrested for corruption in two separate incidents in the North West, the provincial police said on Monday.
Superintendent Lesego Metsi said four officers were arrested on Monday in Zeerust by the Provincial Organised Crime Investigative Unit following complaints from motorists.
The officers allegedly stopped Botswana motorists outside Zeerust, along the Nietverdiend/Gaborone road and demanded bribes of about R200.
People who did not have the cash were given heavy spot fines.
Undercover operation
Five cases of bribery and corruption have been opened against the officers, who included three men and a woman.
The officers demanded bribes from three undercover police.
They were arrested while demanding a bribe from a fourth undercover officer.
The arrested officers were expected to appear briefly in the Zeerust Magistrate's Court on Wednesday charged with bribery and corruption.
Officers reported
In another incident, two traffic officers were arrested for demanding a R300 bribe from a motorist in Rustenburg.
The motorist went to a nearby police station to report the officers, which resulted in their arrest.
They are expected to appear in the Rustenburg Magistrate's Court soon.
North West police commissioner Lesetja Beetha said: "As a country we cannot afford corrupt government officials including in the law enforcement and it is a shared responsibility for all of us to report such officials."
He said this will result in drastic steps being taken against the officials, including laying criminal charges against them.
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Papers show Toyota's 'deception'
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U.S House of Representatives investigators believe Toyota intentionally resisted the possibility that electronic defects caused unintended acceleration, and then misled the public into thinking its recall would fix all the problems.
Rep. Bart Stupak, who will conduct a hearing Tuesday, also said documents and interviews demonstrate the company relied on a flawed engineering report in its statements to reassure the public.
In a letter to the company, the Democrat said a review of consumer complaints produced by Toyota shows that company personnel identified sticking pedals or floor mats as the cause of only 16 percent of the unintended acceleration reports.
Stupak said Monday that roughly 70 percent of the acceleration incidents in Toyota's customer call database involved vehicles that are not subject to the 2009 and 2010 floor mat and "sticky pedal" recalls.
Stupak also wrote to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, saying the agency lacked the necessary expertise to review defects in vehicle electronics.
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Fiat 500 Abarth and Abarth esseesse by Hamann
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German tuners Hamann-Motorsport have produced an excellent set of performance upgrades for the Abarth 500 and the Abarth 500 esseesse. The upgrades are presented in stages providing a maximum 202 kW and up to 380 Nm of torque.
That is an impressive advancement, considering the Abarth 500 gets up to 99 kW from the 1.4-liter engine, and the 500 esseessse gets a max 118 kW and 230 Nm.
The mods from Hamann are provided in five different levels, with the lowest at 118 kW and 285 Nm. Technicians focused on the engine computer, turbo charger, air filter, and exhaust system. They also attack the powertrain by using new connecting rods, forged pistons, air cooler, racing clutch, modified gearbox, and a new flywheel. Larger brake discs with four-piston callipers are nested behind either matte or glossy black 18-inch rims. A self-locking differential is also available.
To match the upgrades, Hamann is also adding a set of aerodynamics, including a new front skirt with LED daytime lighting. Wings widen the front of the car by 30mm, and the rear by 35mm. New side skirts are also attached.
The Hamann-Motorsport upgrades to the Abarth 500 and Abarth 500 esseesse are now available for order.
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MercedesSport Body Styling Accessories Program
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Mercedes-Benz plans on introducing a new set of modifications for their line of cars. The MercedesSport program will first be available on the E-Class Cabrio, Coupe, Estate, and Saloon once the aero kit is unveiled in Geneva next week.
Amongst the available options are new 18-inch light alloys in glossy black and silver. A new front apron, front spoiler, and matching side skirts are available as well as roof and decklid spoilers. The new rear apron looks like it includes a cosmetic diffuser. These items are "add ons," and not a replacement to the original body parts.
Sports brakes with grey calipers and a stiffer, sportier suspension are also options. The new suspension includes short springs that drop the car by 15mm. A perforated leather, four-spoke steering wheel, paddleshifters, and stainless steel pedals and entry sills are all optional upgrades.
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Audi R8 Carbon Limited Edition by Prior Design
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German tuners Prior Design have created another set of upgrades for the Audi R8. The Audi R8 Carbon Limited Edition has a body color C-pillar side panel, and will be available for order soon through the engineering firm's website.
The company opted not to re-tune the car's engine, choosing to focus on the aerodynamics of the R8. They started at the front by installing a lower lip spoiler with a center fin and two smaller air intakes on the sides. A rounded hood with carbon-fiber inlets was also added, as were new side skirts. The redesigned rear bumper was constructed with a carbon-fiber diffuser. For this version, the car sits on 9x20 front and 11.5x20 custom rear wheels.
Interior mods were performed by Kamp-Lintfort, and include carbon-fiber trim. This gives a freshened look to the center console and handbrake, and matches the use of the material in the engine compartment.
Pricing has not yet been announced for the package.
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