Road Transportation Act 74 of 1977

Summary

The source material consists of excerpts from the Road Transportation Act 74 of 1977, a comprehensive South African statute enacted to regulate and oversee specific forms of vehicular conveyance within the Republic. The legislation opens with extensive definitions and clearly outlines numerous types of transport that are exempted from control, such as the movement of certain agricultural products or vehicles used for medical conveyance. Regulatory authority is vested in the National Transport Commission and regional Road Transportation Boards, which possess the power to define geographic zones and categorize goods exempt from certain rules. For controlled services, the Act details requirements for obtaining public, private, and temporary permits, emphasizing that granting decisions must prioritise the public interest and the efficient co-ordination of all transport facilities, including state-owned rail services. Additional sections establish the rules for administering the boards, hearing appeals against board decisions, and specifying offences and associated penalties, including the potential forfeiture of vehicles. This Act concludes by simultaneously repealing several preceding Motor Carrier Transportation statutes, thereby consolidating the regulatory framework.