Page 21 - SA Fruit Journal VOLUME 14

Update on the National Road Traffic Act 22ND AMENDMENTThe National Department of Transport has published the Twenty Second Regulation Amendment (previously referred to as the Twenty First Amendment) to the National Road Traffic Regulations. The Government Gazette is No 38142 published on 31 October 2014.The amendment introduces various new provisions to the transport industry and amends many provisions relating to a number of areas in the legislation. It is avail- able from the Government Printers at www. gpwonline.co.za. A simple registration is re- quired to access the file (7Mb).PLEASE NOTE: the implementation clause on page 142 of the gazette - Regulation 78 is the provision with the implementation dates. The numbers in regulation 78 refer to the amendment gazette numbers and not to the numbers of the regulations once they are inserted in the main gazette.The Twenty Second Regulation Amend- ment to the National Road Traffic Regu- lations will have an impact on all parties involved in [fruit] agricultural harvesting, production and especially that of the trans- portation of goods between a ‘Consignor’ and a ‘Consignee’. The following amended or new regulations are deemed to be important to [fruit] packhouses, transport operators, cold storage facilities and all parties involved in dispatching and receiving of goods trans- ported by road on ‘goods vehicles’:THE BELOW REGULATIONS ARE ENFORCED IMMEDIATELY FROM TIME OF PUBLICATION1. Amendment of regulation 1 of the Regu- lations:1) The substitution for the definitions of “adaptor dolly”. This means a semi-trailer with one or more axles, designed or adapted to be attached between a truck-tractor or a haulage tractor and a semi-trailer.2) The amendment to the definition and rel- evance of a ‘Consignor’ and ‘Consignee’,“Consignee” in relation to goods transported or to be transported by a vehicle means the person excluding a consignee of danger- ous goods in terms of regulation 273, who is named or otherwise identified as the intended consignee of more than 500 000 kilograms (500 tons) of goods in a month in the goods declaration for the consignment and who ac- tually receives such goods after they are trans- ported by road.“Consignor” means a person excluding a con- signor of dangerous goods in terms of regula- tion 273, who is named or otherwise identified as the consignor of goods in the goods decla- ration relating to the transportation of more than 500 000 kilograms (500 tons) of goods in a month by road or engages an operator of a vehicle, either directly or indirectly or through an agent or other intermediary, to transport the goods by road or has possession of, or control over, the goods immediately before the goods are transported by road or loads a vehicle with the goods, for transport by road, at a place where goods are stored in bulk ortemporarily held but excludes a driver of the vehicle, or any person responsible for the nor- mal operation of the vehicle during loading.3) The substitution for the definition of “goods vehicle” with the inclusion of a ‘haul- age tractor’ (The definition of a haulage trac- tor is to mean a heavy, load bearing tractor not designed or capable of attaining a speed of more than 40 km/h on a level road and with an ability to operate both in-field and on-road). In other words a conventional farm tractor used for drawing a trailer of harvested field produce. The importance of this amendment is that a ‘haulage tractor’ was previously omitted from compliance with regulations, now requiring compliance of the vehicle and trailer, vehicle registration, driving licences, professional driving permit, operators permits and loading compliance (vehicle and axle weights in terms of the reg- ulations as of 31st October 2014).2. Insertion of regulation 56A in the Regula- tions ‘Vehicle Identification Number’ (VIN) to be affixed to a motor vehicle.3. Amendment of regulation 99 of the Regu- lations. This pertains to the amendment of certain drivers licence codes, the amendment of specific classes of motor vehicles permit- ted to operate and the authorization to oper- ate other classes of vehicles. The inclusion of a ‘haulage tractor’ under code EC.BEDRYFSNUUS 18 FEB | MAART 2015