DoT publishes Amendment of the National Road Traff
These proposed amendments to the Act could have severe consequences for the motor insurance industry SAIA Motor Manager, Dawie Buys says some of the consequences could be the prohibition of the use of any part of a vehicle that is declared "unfit to repair"
"Such a vehicle will have to be demolished in its entirety. Currently many motor members are getting an income from selling such parts. The other consequence is the provision of proof of address similar to the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA) requirements by titleholders when registering vehicles. This will have a huge impact on proxies.
"The proposals on provisional drivers" license, while positive in principle, involve onerous requirements such as 60 hours (over a 1 year period) of driver training through accredited driving schools which will exclude a lot of people from having access to a driver's license on the grounds of expense. In addition, if a driver's license is suspended for any reason such as AARTO demerit points, a person will have to apply for a new license and go through the provisional driver's license process which could take up to 24 months," he explains
Dawie further laments that there is no provision for transitional arrangements, and the regulations will become effective with immediate effect once finally published.
However, he also mentions that the amendment may come with potential benefits that may include a form of provisional driver's licenses that could have a positive effect onroad safety and some form of roadworthy testing could have a positive impact on road safety.
"Regulations around driving hours for certain classes of vehicles may have a positive impact on road safety, a provision is proposed for applications for on-line access to eNatis and the proposed new requirement that consignors and consignees may not transport or accept goods on a public road unless it is fully insured for potential damage may benefit the industry through more business," he concludes.
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