On Tuesday, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula announced new transport regulations and directives.
The new regulations and directions follow President Cyril Ramaphosa’s pronouncement of opening the economy and moving to Level 2 of the government’s risk-adjusted approach.
Mbalula says that international air travel remains prohibited in Alert Level 2.
But that they are working as a department on the lifting of international ban to travel.
“We are doing work on that as a department to look at international travel and our teams will come back to us and work it through the net joints. At the present moment if you look at Europe and most of the continents, international travel has begun but not in high volumes.”
International travel is allowed if:
- You work internationally
- Health evacuation reasons
- If you live overseas and because of lockdown you were based in SA then you are allowed to travel back to your country of work
- Business in terms of cargo
- SA students studying abroad
The Minister says that they have been repatriating people back and forth to their countries.
However, international travel is not yet open for passengers.
“Once we come to the conclusion that we will have limited opening, the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) and the Cabinet will take a decision based on the work that our teams have done. We are doing work right away on the issue of international travel and looking at when exactly do we want to open compared to others (countries).
Where are we Africa, the rest of the world, and South Africa if we open what measures do we want to take as it won’t be business, as usual, like before.”
Transport Minister outlines the regulations
