The application of operating licences via the National Public Transport Regulator was in the “crawling” stage, said Jits Patel, Chief Director of the National Department of Transport, who anticipates a period of six months or so until all initial problems are ironed out. The new system came into force on July 29.
Two major hiccups at present are the NPTR’s lack of staff, which was being addressed, and the poor quality of documentation received from applicants. He said there was a huge need for some supportive form of advice to applicants for requirements.
Patel said 50 applications had been received to by the end of August. Of the 17 received for accreditation, six had been passed for processing; of the 18 received for renewals nine were now being processed and of 15 applications for replacements, six were being processed.
Patel explained that because of limited staff, applications were being processed on a monthly basis, so that applications received in September would be processed in October.
The new system has been welcomed by the industry because permits under the new system allow operators to conduct business anywhere in SA, whereas under the previous system, permits were awarded on a provincial basis.
Hannelie du Toit, Manager: Self-Regulation at Satsa, said the association had been working with the NPTR to understand the process and to give guidance to its members. She added that the industry did have some concerns.
“Industry concerns are based on the timeframe – especially during the changeover period,” she said, adding that Satsa was encouraging members to apply for accreditation as soon as possible to avoid delays and vehicles standing without permits.
“Industry is also very concerned about the accreditation guidelines,” said Du Toit. She said, for example, that in their current form, the requirements were likely to cause problems for many small operators. She said there was not industry compliance with the new requirement for employee health screening tests. “A Satsa survey shows that there is 0% current compliance and the question is what tests are required.” She added that the requirement might be a breach of the individual’s right to privacy.
“In the interim, the NPTR will allow renewals, transfers and conversions of current permits without having to go through the accreditation process but then the permit details will stay exactly as they are,” said Du Toit.
Satsa has collated all the documents needed for accreditation and renewals. These can be downloaded here.
By: Michelle Coleman and Tessa Reed
