SATSA has urged frustrated tourist transport operators who are waiting for operating licences to report incidents of fines or impoundments from law enforcement officers, penalties which in some instances are contravening National Land Transport Act regulations. 

A backlog at the Department of Transport’s (DoT) embattled National Public Transport Regulator (NPTR) has left hundreds of wheel operators stranded with expired operating licences. In recent months, SATSA has intensified its engagements with the Department of Transport (DoT) to resolve the crisis.

In an interim update sent to SATSA’s members on Tuesday, CEO David Frost said the association had requested Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula, to give transport officials clarity on the regulations, as there had not yet been a moratorium issued to prevent fines and vehicle impoundments.  

“We are aware that operators continue to experience major challenges on the road with fines and impoundment by law enforcement. This is despite Regulation 25 (2) making it legal for operators to continue operating on an expired operating licence until the NPTR has issued the new OL (provided the operator applied on time for renewal),” Frost said. 

“Consequently, in the absence of a moratorium, we are requesting the Minister to send a letter to the Road Traffic Management Corporation and all provincial Transport MECs to clarify this position.”

The DoT has asked SATSA to seek legal advice on the validity of issuing a temporary moratorium or amnesty, to present to Mbalula. 

NPTR meets ‘three times a week’

According to Frost, the NPTR committee has been meeting three times a week to process existing applications and clear the backlog. This is in addition to a once-weekly meeting by a technical task team, headed by the Deputy Director-General of Public Transport, Mathabatha Mokonyama and SATSA’s Transport Committee Chair, Onne Vegter, appointed to develop an implementation plan to present to Minister Mbalula.

During a July 26 meeting between Mbalula and SATSA, the Minister said that the Department had set a goal to clear the backlog of applications by September 30. He also committed to simplify the application and compliance processes for operators and to establish an NPTR call centre.

Frost outlined the resolutions agreed to so far, which include:

• That all operating licences are to be issued for seven years unless a compelling reason exists for a shorter validity. The expiry of accreditation is not a compelling reason.
• In clearing the backlog and dealing with outdated applications, certain expired documents will have to be resubmitted, such as the licence and roadworthy documents (the two discs) and proof of passenger liability insurance.
• NPTR receipts will no longer have the sentence “This receipt does not authorise the conveyance of passengers”. SATSA has also requested that receipts are dated by the date of application/date of payment, and not the date the receipt is issued.

Report law enforcement actions

SATSA has called on operators to email short incident reports of fines or impoundments, in addition to completing a short survey to gain clarity on how many operating licences have been cleared from the backlog.

“We are deeply aware that the levels of frustration and desperation due to the inability to obtain operating licences are at an all-time high. The process of solving this takes time, but we are encouraged by the progress made so far and remain optimistic that meaningful change and lasting improvement are not far off,” Frost concluded.