Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula says proposed regulations to the National Road Traffic Act are before Parliament – which could prohibit foreign nationals from operating South African registered trucks using foreign professional driving permits.
This follows the blockading of the N10 near Middleburg, in the Eastern Cape, by striking truck drivers – demanding the immediate removal of truck drivers of foreign origin from the country’s roads and the verification of their documents.
Traffic was disrupted during the strike:
Mbalula was speaking during a media briefing in Midrand, Johannesburg.
“While long-term interventions are being put in place, we have committed to the following actions to arrest the illegal conduct. In April 2021, we published an amendment to the Road Traffic Act regulations which incorporates a provision that a professional driving permit issued by a foreign country will only be applicable to a vehicle registered in that country. Once that regulation comes into effect, a foreign national will therefore not be permitted to drive a South African registered truck using a foreign professional driving permit. The amendments to the regulations are now before Parliament for comment.”
