New road rules for SA: 5 laws Govt want to pass

New road rules for SA: 5 laws Govt want to pass

 2015-11-19 10:15 AM by
New road rules for SA: 5 laws Govt want to pass

Cape Town - Reduced speed limits, heavy vehicles to be banned during rush hour... earlier in 2015, Wheels24 reported on new draft road and traffic regulations for South Africa by the National Transport Department.

Draft regulations intended to reduce road carnage include slower speed limits, the banning of carrying children in a bakkie load bay and restricting the use of heavy vehicles on public roads.

The Justice Project South Africa claims the proposals were "bastardised by persons at the Department of Transport".

Cape Town - Reduced speed limits, heavy vehicles to be banned during rush hour... earlier in 2015, Wheels24 reported on new draft road and traffic regulations for South Africa by the National Transport Department.

Draft regulations intended to reduce road carnage include slower speed limits, the banning of carrying children in a bakkie load bay and restricting the use of heavy vehicles on public roads.

The Justice Project South Africa claims the proposals were "bastardised by persons at the Department of Transport".

Earlier in 2015, the Transport department told Wheels24 the proposed regulations would possibly be implemented by the end of 2015. 

When will the laws be implemented?

Transport department spokesman Ishmael Mnisi told Wheels24 that the proposed legislation would have to be presented to his party's cabinet, be discussed in Parliament and include public input. He said the department hoped to implement the proposed regulations by the end of 2015.

As of November 2015, it's unclear whether government will pass any of the proposed legislation.

JPSA chairman, Howard Howard Dembovsky, said: "There's no telling when or if these drafts will be passed because road safety is clearly not a priority (for the Transport Department)."

One new law already passed requires drivers to provide proof of residence  when renewing a driving licence or vehicle licence disk. It could be worse; a draft regulation, if passed, would compel drivers to take a practical test when renewing a driving licence.

The draft regulations, published in the Government Gazette, propose these 5 changes to legislation:

 1 Drivers to be re-evaluated when renewing a licence
 2 No more than five people to be carried in a bakkie load bed
 3 Children not to be transported in a bakkie load bed
 4 Speed limits to be reduced from 60 to 40km/h in urban areas, from 100 to 80km/h in rural areas and from 120 to 100km/h on freeways running through a residential area
 5 Goods vehicles above 9000kg GVM to be banned from public roads during peak travelling times

WATCH: W Cape govt responds to new SA road rules

Justice Project South Africa responds

Earlier in 2015, JPSA published an in-depth response to the proposed regulations. Below is an excerpt:

JPSA said: "Never in our wildest dreams would we have imagined that our proposals would have been so thoroughly misunderstood and/or bastardised by persons at the Department of Transport who have now clearly demonstrated that they do not have any idea whatsoever of what the real problems are, let alone how to start addressing them.

"Most, if not all of the proposed amendments in this gazette completely ignore the very real practicalities and unintended consequences of imposing such provisions. They also completely and irresponsibly ignore the fact that corruption and crime is out of control on South Africa.

"Justice Project South Africa respectfully requests that the Minister and Department of Transport ceases publishing ridiculous notions as proposed legislative changes forthwith so as to cease consuming so much of our time, at no cost to you, in lodging our comments and submissions to you in an attempt to avert the dire consequences of your poorly considered, ill-advised proposed amendments will without any shadow of a doubt cause.

"If any of the proposed amendments contained in government gazette 38772 actually get promulgated, the Minister and Department of Transport must expect that affected parties will be left with no choice but to consider approaching the Courts in order to prevent the massive, reckless damage and prejudice that will result from these provisions becoming law."

Click here for the full JPSA response

Below are the proposed rules published in the Government Gazette: