The Western Cape provincial government has put forward a proposal to change some of the driving laws in SA. Here’s what they entail.

The report from BusinessTech says the provincial government of the Western Cape has put forward potential road safety laws in order to protect labourers who go to and from work on the back of bakkies.

Accidents involving workers on the back of bakkies are too common and there’s no safety systems designed to protect them. A recent incident in the Western Cape saw 35 farm workers badly injured. The proposed changes revolve around the strengthening of road traffic regulations, focusing on labourer transport.

Other suggestions include the introduction of a speed limit of 80 kph for vehicles carrying passengers in the open load bay as well as investigating the possibility of a national government subsidy for rural public transport like busses for workers.

The DA’s Western Cape spokesperson on Agriculture, Andricus van der Westhuizen said, “Whilst the Western Cape Provincial Government has sought to strengthen rural transport in the province, the responsibility for traffic regulations is a national competency under the National Department of Transport,” van der Westhuizen said.“The ANC National Government must, therefore, seriously consider the abovementioned proposals in an effort to improve safety protocols for farmworkers.”

There are other changes afoot, with theRoad Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) investigating the possibility of speed reduction in urban areas, with a focus of the roads near schools and popular cycling routes. If all goes according to plan and it is approved, motorists will face a 20 kph reduction on all roads. So a current 60 kph road in a residential area would then drop to 40 kph, while a national highway will drop from 120 kph to 100 kph.

If there are updates to this story, or if the legislation goes through, we’ll keep you posted. Do you think the proposed changes will help improve road safety?

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