‘Brakes’ applied to speeding taxis
Every taxi now has to be fitted with a speed limiting device.
MINIBUS taxis will now be forced to stick to the 100km/h speed limit. The ruling, which makes it mandatory for not only minibus taxis but any public and goods transporting vehicles to be fitted with speed governors, came into effect yesterday.
According to the Automobile Association (AA), the rule applies to all minibus taxis with a mass that exceeds 3.500kg.
According to the AA, vehicles are required to be governed by the speed limits applicable to each category. In the case of minibuses, midibuses, and buses, the governed speed will be 100km/h.
“Goods vehicles over 3,500kg, but below 9,000kg, will be governed to 100km/h. Goods vehicles over 9 000kg will be governed to a maximum speed of 80km/h.”
The risk of such large speed differentials is well documented and the introduction of governors will combat this problem over the next several years as end-of-life buses and minibus taxis are phased out.
Additional draft road and traffic regulations in the pipeline also include:
* Drivers to be re-evaluated when renewing a licence
* No more than five people to be carried in a bakkie load bed
* Children not to be transported in a bakkie load bed
* Speed limits to be reduced from 60km/h to 40km/h in urban areas, from 100 to 80km/h in rural areas and from 120 to 100km/h on freeways running through a residential area
* Goods vehicles above 9 000kg GVM to be banned from public roads during peak travelling times.
