Cape Town - Proposals to tighten road regulations, including retesting drivers when they renew their licences, will not work unless enforcement measures are ramped up, said the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
This week it emerged that Transport Minister Dipuo Peters intended to amend the National Road Traffic Regulations.
The draft regulations were published in the Government Gazette for comment.
The changes include:
- Drivers wanting to renew their licences may be retested. This could include a practical and theoretical test.
- Reducing the speed limit in urban areas from 60km/h to 40km/h, in rural areas from 100km/h to 80km/h.
- Schoolchildren may not be transported on the back of a bakkie.
- Goods vehicles with a gross vehicle mass of more than 9 000 kilograms may not use public roads during peak hours on weekdays.
But the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry said present road regulations did not work because they were not enforced.
The chamber’s president, Janine Myburgh, said more important matters needed to be looked at.
“We also have a massive incidence of forged or corruptly obtained driver’s licences. This is the problem that needs fixing and retesting drivers will be a pointless exercise until we have got the fake licences off the road,” she said.
Myburgh said retesting motorists was impractical because driving test centres would not be able to cope with the big increase in demands for tests.
She said retesting certain motorists needed to be looked at.
“There is a need for some retesting but the people who should be called in for retesting are those involved in accidents. This will be a much smaller number and this kind of retesting programme will take us straight to the problem drivers,” Myburgh said.
Comments on the proposed amendments can be made until June 11 and should be sent to [email protected] or [email protected]
Sunday Argus