SA prepares for new road rules coming in May

In 2015, the Department of Transport proposed major changes for road rules and regulations, with the intention of reducing the number of accidents on South African roads and improving road safety.

On the 11^th of November 2016, the department published two amendments to the National Road Traffic Regulations in the Government Gazette (No. 40420). These two amendments relate to the transportation of school learners in the load bay of a bakkie and to the speed limit of heavy goods vehicles.

• Regulation 250 (1) has been amended to state that school children may not be transported in the goods compartment of a vehicle for reward. Regulation 250 (2) states that other persons may also not be transported in the goods compartment of a vehicle for reward, unless it complies with the National Land Transport Act. These amendments will come into effect on the 11^th of May 2017.

• Regulation 293 (iv) states that goods vehicles with a GVM of more than 3 500kg up to 9 000kg are limited to a maximum speed of 100km/h. This amendment came into effect on the 11^th of November 2016.

In addition, the department has proposed four other draft amendments that will be published for public comment in 2017. These are:

• Drivers to have a practical re-evaluation when renewing a licence.
• A complete review and revamp of the current K53 test.
• Speed limits to be reduced from 60km/h 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.
• Goods vehicles above 9 000kg GVM to be banned from public roads during peak travelling times.

“While there is some confusion about the changes to the National Road Traffic Act, the public should know that only two new rules have been promulgated,” says Joe Szemerei, Executive Director at Indwe Risk Services.

“The amendment to the speed limit ofheavy goods vehicles came into effect in November last year, while the amendment to the transportation of school learners will come into effect in May this year. There are also four draft amendments that the government would like to implement officially in 2017, however these will first be published for public comment.”