USEFUL INFORMATION
The National Roads Agency has a website URL www.nra.co.za which provides the following regularly updated information:
• Road toll tariffs (reviewed each year in March)
• Tables of information on the main trunk routes, in which they report on
o The current condition of the road on each route
o Any hazards of note
o Roadworks, in hand and projected; their location, nature, and expected completion dates.
National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act 93 of 1996)
Chapter IV : Fitness of drivers
32. Professional driver to have permit
1) No person shall drive a motor vehicle of a prescribed class on a public road except in accordance with the conditions of a professional driving permit issued to him or her in accordance with this Chapter and unless he or she keeps such permit with him or her in the vehicle:
2) The –
a) categories of;
b) nature and extent of the authority granted by;
c) period of validity of;
d) form and content of;
e) application for and issue of;
f) suspension and cancellation of;
g) incorporation in any other document of; and
h) other necessary or expedient matters in relation to, professional driving permits, shall be as prescribed.
3)
a) Any document issued by a competent authority in any prescribed territory and serving in that territory a purpose similar to that of a professional driving permit shall, subject to the conditions thereof and to such conditions as may be prescribed, be deemed to be a professional driving permit for the purposes of subsection (1).
b) A public driving permit issued in terms of the Road Traffic Act, 1989 (Act No. 29 of 1989), or a road traffic law contemplated in paragraph 2 of Schedule 6 to the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act No. 108 of 1996), shall, in accordance with the conditions thereof but subject to this Act, be deemed to be a professional driving permit for the purposes of this section for the period of validity of that public driving permit.
REGULATIONS
Road Traffic Act Regulations 1999 & Government Gazette 20963 17th March 2000 apply.
(Amendments of GenN 2116 of 2001 and GN R 881 of 2004 do not affect a normal vehicle used on a public road.
GenN 2116 refers mainly to special vehicles used off-road. GN R 881 refers to dangerous goods.)
V Fitness of Drivers
Part IV Professional Driving Permit
115 Certain drivers of certain vehicles to hold professional driving permit
(1) Subject to the provisions of subregulation (2), a professional driving permit shall be held by the driver of-
(a) a goods vehicle, the gross vehicle mass of which exceeds 3 500 kilograms;
(b) a breakdown vehicle;
(c) a bus;
(d) a minibus¬
(i) the gross vehicle mass of which exceeds 3 500 kilograms; or
(ii) which is designed or adapted for the conveyance of 12 or more persons,
including the driver;
[Para (d) amended in the Afrikaans text by GenN 2116 of 200l wef 5 October 2001.]
(e) a motor vehicle used for the conveyance of persons for reward;
(f) a motor vehicle the gross vehicle mass of which exceeds 3 500 kilograms to which
regulations 273 to 283 apply as contemplated in regulation 274;
[Para (f) substituted by GN R88l of 2004 wef 23 July 2004.1
(Date of commencement of para (1): 3 August 2001.)
(g) a motor vehicle conveying 12 or more persons including the driver.
(2) The provisions of subregulation (1) does not apply-
(a) to a traffic officer or examiner of vehicles in the performance of his or her duties as contemplated in sections 31 and 3G of the Act, respectively;
(b) to a person driving a hearse;
(c) to a person driving a motor vehicle referred to in regulation 2 1(1) or 2 1(5); [Para (c) amended by GenN 2116 of 5 October 2001 wef 1 January 2002.]
(d) subject to regulation 99(2), to a person driving a motor vehicle for which he or she holds a valid learner’s licence with the code prescribed for that vehicle in terms of regulation 99(1), while being accompanied by a person holding a valid professional driving permit which authorises him or her to drive that vehicle;
(e) to a person driving a tractor.
DEFINITIONS
National Road Traffic Act, 1996
National Road Traffic Regulations, 1999
Chapter I : Definitions
1. Definitions
1) In these regulations, an expression that has been defined in the Act has that meaning and, unless the context indicates otherwise -
"goods vehicle"
means a motor vehicle other than a motor cycle, motor tricycle, motor quadrucycle, motor car, mini-bus or bus, designed or adapted for the conveyance of goods on a public road and includes a truck-tractor, adaptor dolly, converter dolly and breakdown vehicle;
"mini-bus"
means a motor vehicle designed or adapted solely or principally for the conveyance of more than nine, but not more than 16 persons, including the driver;
COMMENTS.
When the Act is read in conjunction with the prescribed regulations and definitions it is obvious that a Motorhome does not require a PDP. The GVM of the motorhome does not affect this even if the GVM is greater than 3500 kilograms..
A Motorhome is does not fall into any of the following categories which require a PDP:-
(a) a goods vehicle, the gross vehicle mass of which exceeds 3 500 kilograms;
(b) a breakdown vehicle;
(c) a bus;
(d) a minibus¬
(iii) the gross vehicle mass of which exceeds 3 500 kilograms; or
(iv) which is designed or adapted for the conveyance of 12 or more persons,
including the driver;
(e) a motor vehicle used for the conveyance of persons for reward;
(f) a motor vehicle the gross vehicle mass of which exceeds 3 500 kilograms to which
regulations 273 to 283 apply as contemplated in regulation 274;(DANGEROUS GOODS)
(h) a motor vehicle conveying 12 or more persons including the driver.
WT Fletcher
28th January 2005
For Reference:
Websites with the Road Traffic Act:-
http://www.info.gov.za/acts/1996/a93-96.htm
http://www.acts.co.za/national_road_traffic_act_1996.htm
