Africa-Press – South-Africa. Pretoria – The lives of motorists in South African are about to change as the government is closer to introducing legislation which includes a total prohibition on alcohol consumption for drivers and microdot technology to monitor traffic.
Interested parties had until Wednesday to submit their comments on the amendments to the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act.
This was a second call for people to make submissions to after the initial November 20 deadline collected 6 900 submissions.
The amendment, once implemented, will mean motorists may not drive after consuming any alcohol, irrespective of concentration measured in their blood.
However, the commencement date is still to be proclaimed by the President.
Another aspect is the use of microdot technology embedded on car licence plates for easier measurement of traffic patterns and identifying traffic hotspots.
This technology would show up forged number plates and lead to better regulation and compliance.
Other changes that are due will include provisions being made for the registration and grading of training centres; additional rules around the surrender of a driving licence.
These include the prohibiting the use of unauthorised aid during a test for a learner’s licence or a driving licence test; providing for the registration and grading of driving school instructors as well as driving schools; and the introduction of a new ‘provisional’ driver’s licence in South Africa.
The portfolio committee on transport chaired by Mosebenzi Zwane, is expected to meet either next week or the week after and decide if they extend the submission for comments further or go for public oral hearings.
Once that process is done, the committee will ask the Department of Transport to make its presentation.
Pretoria News
