Latest news with #267
IOL News
4 days ago
- Automotive
- IOL News
Driving licence printing machine fixed but huge backlogs remain
The Department of Transport has repaired the driving licence card printing machine after months of downtime, but a significant backlog of unprinted cards remains. Image: File Millions have been spent on repairing and maintaining the driving licence card printing machine. The Department of Transport announced earlier last month that the driving licence printing machine was fixed and operations have resumed. The machine had been inoperative since February 5, resulting in a backlog of 747,748 unprinted cards. To reduce the backlog, the Department of Transport's Driving Licence Card Agency extended the working hours of its staff members. In light of this, in a parliamentary question and reply, Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi asked Transport Minister Barbara Creecy about the number of times the machine broke down and how much it cost to repair it. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Zibi then asked how many employees it takes to operate the machine and how much overtime pay has been paid to employees due to lost printing time because of machine breakdowns. Zibi also asked Creecy if there was progress in acquiring a new card machine. Creecy said the backlog of driving licences as of May 15 was estimated at 733,000 cards. Creecy revealed the machine's major breakdowns in the past financial year are as follows: 2022/23 - 26 working days 2023/24 - 48 working days 2024/25 - 17 working days 2025/26 - 38 working days Over the same period, repairs and maintenance costs: 2022/23 - R9,267,862,33 2023/24 - R1,651,772,57 2024/25 - R544,747,64 2025/26 - R624,988,10 (to date) Overtime payment, over the last few financial years, has been: 2022/23 - R1,435,376,79 2023/24 - R1,608,102,52 2024/25 - R1,351,473,78 2025/26 - R0,00 Creecy said it takes four people to operate the machine. About progress made with the process to acquire a new driving licence card printing machine, Creecy said: 'The Minister has directed that a declaratory order be sought from a competent court on the tender to acquire a new machine, in order to ensure that no further irregular expenditure occurs.'
The Star
19-05-2025
- The Star
Climbers flock to Everest before permit fees hike
Nepal is preparing for an exceptionally high number of climbers on Mount Everest this spring, before fees are set to rise by almost a third to US$15,000 (RM64,455). The number of permits issued to climb the world's highest mountain is already higher than in 2024, ahead of the usual peak demand in early May, officials have announced. So far, more than 430 permits had been issued to applicants from 52 countries, compared to a total of 421 last year, according to figures from the Tourism Department of Nepal's Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation (DoT). 'This is not the final number, as climbers are still coming and applying for permits,' said DoT spokesman Liladhar Awasthi in Kathmandu. The increase is not only due to individual schedules, said Mingma Sherpa of the private tour operator Seven Summit Treks. The planned hike in permit fees also plays a role, he added. Some of his clients are still awaiting approval for the pre-monsoon season. Standing at 8,849m, Mount Everest lies on the border between Nepal and China. Climbers can ascend the mountain from either country. The Nepali government plans to significantly increase climbing permit fees for foreign climbers starting Sept 1. The official fee of US$11,000 (RM47,267) currently charged for ascents via the so-called southern route during the main season will rise to US$15,000. Additionally, a draft law, currently under consideration in Nepal's parliament, would require climbers to prove they have previously climbed a mountain over 7,000m before receiving a permit to climb Everest. Whether the new law will pass remains unclear. Scepticism prevails among experts. 'What is the real difference between climbing a 7,000m peak and an 8,000m peak?' the newspaper The Kathmandu Post quoted the former president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, Ang Tshring Sherpa, as saying. 'You can die on both.' Climbing fees and other expenses paid by mountaineers are important sources of revenue for the impoverished country. Nepal is home to eight of the world's 14 mountains that rise above 8,000m. DoT figures show climbers from the United Sates hold the highest number of permits at 82, followed by India with 74 and China with 60. Britain has 28 climbers, Russia 23, Brazil 16, Ukraine, Japan and Australia 12 each. Spring, the most popular season for climbing Everest, runs from mid-April through early June, drawing climbers from around the world and sometimes causing traffic jams around the so-called death zone with low oxygen concentration. Operators said that hundreds of climbers have already gathered at the Everest Base Camp for acclimatisation, a ritual preparation phase before summit attempts. Experienced Sherpas known as icefall doctors, have successfully opened the route up to Camp II, establishing a path through the Khumbu glacier with ladders and fixed ropes. As in previous years, new records are expected to be set. Notably, Kami Rita Sherpa, who holds the record for the most Everest ascents, with 30, is leading another expedition and could improve his record if successful. Mount Everest straddles the border between Nepal and the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China, with climbers able to ascend from either side. Since the first successful ascent by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary in 1953, more than 12,000 summits have been recorded, according to the Himalayan Database. – dpa
Gulf Today
13-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
Dubai court obliges real estate firm to return Dhs1.267m to plot purchasers
Dubai Real Estate Court ordered a real estate development company to refund Dhs1,267,000 to two buyers, whom the company had sold a plot of land to build a residential villa but the company failed to deliver the land. The court also rejected the inclusion of a second company in the case, as it provided evidence of returning the amount it had received from the buyers. According to the case documents, the plaintiffs signed a land sale contract to build a residential villa, purchasing a plot from the appellee company for a total of Dhs1,334,000 and on the same date, the second appellee company signed a civil works management services contract with the plaintiffs, committing to construct a villa on the plot. Payments were agreed to be made in three installments and the first company received Dhs1,467,000 from the plaintiffs, including Dhs1,334,000 for the land and Dhs133,000 as the first installment for construction costs. The first company allegedly failed to deliver the land to the plaintiffs and both companies signed a termination agreement for the sale contract and the services management contract, with the first company pledging to refund the amount received from the plaintiffs, but it did not fulfill this obligation. The court noted that the first company did not provide evidence of clearing its debt or returning the amount received, having transferred only Dhs66,000, and thus, it still owes Dhs1,267,000. The court also rejected the inclusion of the second company in the case, as it provided proof of returning the amount it had received from the plaintiffs. Dr Alaa Nasr, the legal representative of the plaintiffs, stated that Article 246 of the Civil Transactions Law obligates contracting parties to fulfill the terms of the contract, and the contractor must execute the contract as agreed.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Salt Lake City library workers officially unionize, move to bargain ahead of ban
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Employees at the Salt Lake City Public Library have become the first library workers in Utah to gain formal union recognition. According to a press release from the Local 1004 American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME), 92% of the employees at the SLC library voted to unionize. The election was held on April 30 and May 1. This comes after employees began the campaign in April 2023. 'We as workers are looking forward to negotiating our first contract,' Christina Ordonez, associate librarian, is quoted in the release. 'We've always been here for our community, and we finally have the tools to advocate for ourselves and for each other.' In January, the Salt Lake City Public Library Board approved a resolution to recognize the union. On Feb. 5, 2024, the Salt Lake City Council met to approve the employees' right to unionize, the vote passed unanimously. PREVIOUSLY: Salt Lake City approves Utah's first library union amidst controversy on Capitol Hill 'To our Salt Lake City librarians and staff, we are so excited for this opportunity for each and every one of you. You deserve this, so thank you for fighting and bringing this forward,' Council Member Sarah Young said at the time of the resolution being approved. Brad Asay, executive director for AFSCME Local 1004, spoke to ABC4 about what went into forming this union. 'A lot of work with attorneys, a lot of work with different entities to make sure everyone is on the same page,' Asay said. 'It was a two-year process, so it took quite a bit of work to get here.' H.B. 267 concerns H.B. 267, Public Sector Labor Union Amendments, 'prohibits a public employer from recognizing a labor organization as a bargaining agent for public employees,' according to the bill's text. This would prevent public sector unions — like the new Salt Lake City Public Library Workers Union — from organizing for collective bargaining. More than 320k Utahns sign referendum to appeal labor union bill, double the required amount While Asay says there is concern regarding H.B. 267, the referendum signatures will likely put a block on the bill going into effect. Those signatures are currently being verified. 'There are so many public workers affected by this bill — our amazing library workers of course, teachers, firefighters, police, and the thousands of city employees across the state, the people who keep your water and sewer systems running, who clear your streets of snow, who keep your neighborhoods safe, and ensure your city functions smoothly. All these workers are who lawmakers are trying to silence — workers who deserve a say in their training, safety, and working conditions,' AFSCME 1004 President Jerry Philpot said about H.B. 267 in the release. Despite concerns regarding H.B. 267, the union employees are looking forward to exercising their new abilities as a recognized union. Asay says that a lot of the support that got them to where they are today is thanks to the SLC community. 'We just really appreciate all of the support that the public workers have had,' Asay shared. 'It was a huge amount of support from the Salt Lake community… all of us in the union and all the library workers really appreciate that support.' Latest headlines: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Utah County Clerk explains why H.B. 267 referendum signature verification is ‘taking extra time'
SALT LAKE CITY () — Recently, the office of Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson for the H.B. 267 referendum. A county clerk responded to that post to explain why fewer signatures had been verified in Utah County compared to others. As of 9 a.m. on April 30, the official numbers were being reported as 183,908 valid signatures gathered. As of noon on April 29, 45,878 signatures had been rejected. The election office also shared the estimated percentages of signatures left to verify in each county. According to the numbers from Tuesday, Davis County had to verify roughly 20% of its gathered signatures, Salt Lake County had 25% remaining, Weber County had 50%, and Utah County had 83% left. RELATED: Utah's collective bargaining referendum hits qualifying thresholds That means Utah County had only verified 17% of the gathered signatures as of April 29, with about a week until the May 7 statutory deadline. On April 30, Utah County Clerk Aaron Davidson under the election office's post to explain the 'two reasons why Utah County was behind the other counties.' Davidson's post explained that Utah County was 'doing a second pass on every signature packet,' and that it was reportedly 'the only county' doing so. He said that the second pass was done to make sure the rejected signatures were actually invalid. 'That was taking extra time,' Davidson's statement reads. 'All the other counties were only doing a single pass on their packets.' The second reason he cited was the fact that 'required every county to renumber their precinct designations and submit them to the state.' Davidson said some precincts had to be manually updated in Utah County, which reportedly caused some delays. 'Utah County is now just doing a single pass, and the precinct designation problems have been fixed,' Davidson said. His statement continued on to say that roughly 67% of signatures still had to be verified after making the change to a single pass, and the county's rejection rate was 14% while the statewide average was 21%. 'We have no concerns about completing the signature verification by the May 7th statutory deadline,' Davidson's response reads. H.B. 267 — called 'Public Sector Labor Union Amendments' — and was . Referendum efforts were . In order to qualify for the ballot, the referendum efforts need to collect 140,748 signatures, representing 8% of registered voters in 15 of Utah's 29 Senate Districts. Earlier this week, the Protect Utah Coalition, which has been leading the referendum push, said groups had in making progress to get the referendum on the 2026 ballot: Of more than 320,000 signatures gathered, more than 140,000 had been verified. Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson has until June 23 to certify those efforts. Those who support H.B. 267 recently told that they will be , rather than trying to keep the referendum off the ballot. Lindsay Aerts and Derick Fox contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
