Pretoria: President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed the National Road Traffic Amendment Bill into law, introducing sweeping reforms aimed at improving road safety and ensuring the integrity of South Africa’s traffic management systems. This includes the fitness of drivers and vehicles, the transportation of certain dangerous goods, the general speed limit, and the integrity of the issuing of vehicle and driver’s licenses.
According to South African Government News Agency, the Bill gives effect to the National Road Safety Strategy, which has five pillars: road safety management; safer roads and mobility; safer vehicles; safer road users; and post-crash response. The newly signed legislation amends the National Road Traffic Act of 1996 with several key provisions.
One of the primary changes includes the suspension and cancellation of registration, allowing for the suspension or cancellation of the registration of examiners for driving licences or vehicle examiners. Additionally, the regulation of centres and stake
holders mandates the registration and grading of driving licence testing centres and training centres. It also requires the registration and inspection of various stakeholders involved in manufacturing, supplying, and fitting number plates, weighbridge facilities, and microdots.
The law introduces new offences related to learner’s licences and provides for the registration and grading of driving schools and their instructors. Fraud is now a listed offence for those assisting a driving licence applicant in committing violations. Furthermore, the law disqualifies vehicle examiners with direct or indirect financial interests in businesses such as manufacturing, selling, repairing, or modifying motor vehicles. This disqualification extends to traffic officers, reserve traffic wardens, traffic wardens, or National Traffic Information System (NaTIS) officials who have, or through their spouse or partner have acquired, a direct or indirect financial interest in a road transport services business.
Disciplinary meas
ures are also outlined, with examiners, traffic officers, and licence inspectors facing possible suspension or deregistration for convictions under the Criminal Procedure Act. These sanctions apply to those who have a direct or indirect financial interest in businesses including a driving school, road transport services business, or the manufacturing of motor vehicles.
The legislation further stipulates registration requirements for persons who build or modify vehicle bodies on chassis and chassis-cabs or import new buses or midibuses. Emergency services are now obliged to immediately respond to a road incident and render all necessary services as prescribed. ‘Emergency services’ include emergency medical services provided by an organ of state or private body for private use, as well as those provided by the Department responsible for health services. The law also specifies that the driver of an emergency vehicle or a person driving a vehicle while responding to a disaster in terms of the Disaster Management
Act may not exceed a speed of 20km/h through an intersection.