Hon Chairperson, the Department of Transport briefed the Portfolio Committee on Transport on the proposed amendments to the regulations of the National Road Traffic Act, Act 93 of 1996, which had to be continually amended to accommodate a number of varying factors.
The department reported that it had undertaken the consultative process with the provincial transport departments, local authorities, and various relevant stakeholders such as the SA Bureau of Standards, National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA, Naamsa, the SAPS and the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications, NRCS.
For the first time, in four-and-a-half years, both the DA and Cope shared a common perspective with the ANC on two issues of concern in the first draft. These issues include the following. Regulation 13(a) of the National Road Traffic Act, Act 93 of 1996, provided that a motor vehicle which had been deregistered in terms of Regulation 55 as permanently demolished should not be registered and its parts should not be used to build or repair any motor vehicle.
The committee thought that this regulation prohibited using second-hand genuine parts to fix or repair any part of a motor vehicle. Therefore, it would affect the second-hand car parts dealers, resulting in job losses. We also thought that ordinary citizens, who could not afford new car parts, would not be able to repair their vehicles using second-hand parts.
The department reviewed the proposed regulation and inserted subsection (2) to Regulation 13(a) to make it clear that second-hand genuine parts in good condition could still be utilised to repair a motor vehicle.
The second issue pertained to the retrospective application of the provisions of the National Road Traffic Regulations as the regulations had been published and submitted to Parliament in June 2012. The department had hoped that the regulations would have been finalised before the date referred to in the regulation. Some regulations referred to December 2012 which, when read after 2012, would make it seem that the regulations were going to be applied retrospectively. This regulation was also changed to ensure that the provisions did not have a retrospective application as it would have been difficult for stakeholders and role-players to comply with the legal requirements.
The new provision states that the regulations will be applicable from the date on which regulations come into effect. The committee, being satisfied that its concerns had been duly considered, accordingly approved the amendments to the National Road Traffic Regulations on 6 August 2013.
There was no debate.