An error into proposed amendments to the National Road Traffic Regulations meant that "withholding the issue of licence discs on the basis of outstanding e-tolls will not be lawful for the immediately foreseeable future”‚ Justice Project South Africa (JPSA) said on Tuesday.
In response to a JPSA letter to the Department of Transport‚ the chief director of road transport regulation in the department‚ John Motsatsing on Tuesday confirmed that an error had crept into proposed amendments to the legislation.
Motsatsing wrote‚ “On further consultation with Sanral it was confirmed that the 2015 regulations have not yet been published and are still being finalised. The department will do the necessary correction notice that exclude regulation 25 as contained in the regulation published for comments.”
“Simply put‚” said the JPSA‚ this meant that paragraph 2 of Notice No. R. 607 in government gazette 38997‚ published for comments on Friday July 17‚ “may be completely disregarded by members of the public wishing to submit any comments on the proposed amendments to the National Road Traffic Regulations.
“It also means that withholding the issue of licence discs on the basis of outstanding e-tolls will not be lawful for the immediately foreseeable future.”
“It is both appalling and alarming that such an ‘error’ should have crept into proposed amendments to legislation‚ particularly when such draconian measures as withholding licence discs is proposed‚” said JPSA chairman‚ Howard Dembovsky.
“One would hope that legislators would pay proper attention to detail and to abiding by legislative requirements and the Constitution‚” he said.
RDM News Wire.
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