The National Transport Regulator (NTR) is expected to be up and running by June, SATSA has announced.

The development follows ongoing engagement between the association and the Department of Transport, including a meeting between the department and Mohamed Baba, MD of Ilios Travel and SATSA Exco Member responsible for transport, as well as SATSA CEO, David Frost.

The NTR body will be responsible for all tourism transport-related matters, including all accreditation. “This obviates the plethora of problems we have had with provincial licensing and permits in KZN and Gauteng,” said Frost.

The NTR will accredit operators after despatching inspectors to each business to conduct an operational audit. In turn, the operator will furnish the NTR with a list of vehicles, which will then be issued with operating licences valid for five years.  These will be valid for all national operations and pick-up of passengers, irrespective of where the business is located.

The department will hold a series of workshops with SATSA on how best the regulation of tourism transport needs to done. These sessions will also cover the issue of the Road Accident Fund subsuming all liability in the case of accidents.

“There is a genuine openness to work with SATSA and its members,” said Frost. “This extends to prioritising SATSA members to be accredited first, but in a sequenced manner.

“I would like to pay tribute to my predecessor at SATSA, Mike Tatalias, and David Munton, who did all ‘the grunt work’ to get us to this point.”