Traffic agency wants road rules rewritten to curb the carnage

Motorists could be retested every five years if traffic authorities have their way.

In a bid to curb the carnage on the road, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) wants motorists to undergo K53 testing whenever they renew their drivers’ licences, which expire every five years.

It also wants to ban young drivers from undertaking trips of more than 150km in the first year of obtaining their driver’s licences. Other proposals include additional tests for drivers of taxis, buses and trucks, which will have a bearing on the decision to grant them professional driving permits.

Transport minister Blade Nzimande announced on Thursday that 767 people had lost their lives on SA roads since the beginning of December.

RTMC spokesperson Simon Zwane said the proposal to re-test drivers was motivated by a number of factors.

“When you renew your licence, which is valid for five years, you should not just go to the window; we believe you should be re-tested. Others, during the five years, have picked up wrong behaviours, they have forgotten what they learnt, that’s why they must be re-tested. Many people will not be able to pass,” he said.

But a civil society organisation has criticised the proposals, saying they would collapse the economy and take people out of jobs.

Read the full story in the Sunday Times.