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GOVT TO GET E100M FROM MOTORISTS

02/06/2019 08:32:00 BY WELCOME DLAMINI

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MBABANE – Soon, motorists will be expected to contribute millions of Emalangeni into government’s dry coffers.

This is in respect of money they will have to pay to acquire new driver’s licences and new registration plate numbers, courtesy of the new traffic regulations.
Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg who is responsible for the country’s revenue, yesterday told the Times SUNDAY that he was ‘not aware of these regulations’.

However, Minister of Public Works and Transport Chief Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe told this publication last week that the regulations were ‘passed in the previous Parliament and the commencement date is yet to be announced’.
His Principal Secretary, Makhosini Mndawe, confirmed the same.
During his maiden national budget presentation in February, Rijkenberg announced a number of proposed revenue measures, which include updating a number of fees and fines relating to areas such as vehicles, many of which had not been reviewed in over 10 years.

new revenue measures

The finance minister stated that he was looking at the passage of new revenue measures that would increase domestic revenue collection by E900 million, which includes E400 million linked to the sale of government assets.
With above 400 000 motor vehicles registered in the Kingdom of Eswatini as per information provided to this publication in 2015, government is expected to rake in at least E68 million when motorists acquire the new registration numbers.
This is calculated at the minimum E170 that government charges for motor vehicle registration (licencing) from old to new number plates.

Assuming that every vehicle has a licenced driver, it would translate to a minimum of 400 000 registered motor vehicle drivers in the kingdom.
Since renewing a driver’s licence costs E75 a person, it means licencing the 400 000 drivers would rake in a minimum of E30 million for government.
With these figures combined, government is likely to make a minimum of E98 million from the motorists.

But as these regulations – the Road Traffic Regulations of 2017 – kick in, the good news for motorists is that current holders of driver’s licences will not be required to undergo retesting in order to be issued with the new licences.
As provided for in the regulations, the current holders shall make an application to the Registrar of Road Traffic, who in turn shall ‘without requiring the applicant to undergo any test, issue an applicant with a driver’s licence’.
This is if the registrar is satisfied that the documents of the applicant are valid and relate to the category of driving licence for which the applicant applied.

new codes for new licences

The new licences shall have new codes that are different from the old licences.
“The authority granted by the new licence shall be as prescribed for the code of that licence and the holder of the licence shall be authorised to drive the class of motor vehicle for which the driver had authority under the old licence,” reads the regulations.
They state that where the old licence authorised the driving of a motor vehicle propelled by electric power, the authority granted by the new licence shall, subject to the new licence being endorsed accordingly, be prescribed for the relevant code of that licence.

Also, where the old licence authorised the driving of motor vehicle that is specifically adapted, constructed or equipped for use by a physically disabled person, the authority granted by the new licence shall, subject to endorsement, be as prescribed for the relevant code of that licence.

Besides the driver’s licences, the new regulations also direct that the registration plates of every general and public transport vehicle will have to be changed to reflect the country’s name change from Swaziland (SD) to Eswatini (ES).
The new registration plates will replace the current design which was introduced in 2010 and closely resembles the number plates used in neighbouring South Africa.
This was purportedly done in an attempt to reduce hijacking of Eswatini-registered cars travelling into South Africa.

However, there is no need for motorists to rush to have the new registration plates because no deadlines have been set.
Instead, the new registration plates will be obtained when a vehicle owner goes to renew the vehicle’s licence.
If the vehicle is being registered for the first time after the regulations, the new registration plates will be displayed on that vehicle.

new registration plates

Notwithstanding these, owners can also apply for the new registration plates in terms of the new regulations at any time before they renew their vehicles’ licences. According to the regulations, the general and public transport vehicles’ registration plates shall have a reflective surface with a translucent ink that shall be sky blue with traditional huts and rising sun, rolling Lubombo mountains and the green fertile valleys of Eswatini.
The 2010 design consists of black lettering superimposed over a pictorial image of a landscape of hills. Between the main number and the registration districts, two traditional Eswatini ‘beehive’ huts (known as Gucasithandaze) are shown over a background of the setting sun.

The plates are valid for five years, and have a sticker indicating the year of expiry.
These registration numbers consist of a random letter, followed by the letters ‘SD’, a space, three numbers, another space, and then two random letters (e.g. ASD 000 BM).
This allows for 26 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 26 x 26 = 17 576 000 vehicle registration numbers.

The new registration plates shall consist of the letters ‘ES’; three figures that shall commence with the number 000 to 999; an alphabet, and the letter H’ for the district of Hhohho; ‘M’ for Manzini; ‘L’ for Lubombo; and ‘S’ for Shiselweni.
For instance, it may look like this: AES 001 AH

Government vehicles, meanwhile, shall have their registration plates starting with the letters ‘GES’ followed by the number 000 and progress to 999 and two letters depicting the government ministry to which the motor vehicle is allocated.
Personalised registration plates, on the other hand, will comprise a maximum six letters, followed by the letters ‘ES’; or maximum of six figures, followed by the letters ‘ES’; or a combination of a maximum of six letters and figures followed by the letters ‘ES’.
All this on condition that the personalised registration plates do not comprise letters and figures that duplicate a mark that may be allocated under the general registration plates system.

DIPLOMATS AND CONSULAR
For diplomats, their vehicles’ registration plates shall comprise the letters ‘ES’ and then the letter ‘D’; three figures that shall commence with the number 000 and progress to 999; two letters denoting the embassy identification; and white letters on a deep red background.
For a consular, the registration plates shall comprise the letters ‘ES’ followed by the letter ‘C’; three figures that shall commence with the number 000 and progress to 999; two letters denoting the consular office identification; and white letters on a deep red background
The new registration plates shall be manufactured or sold by persons registered as manufacturers of these plates in terms of the new regulations.
An application for registration as a manufacturer of registration plates in terms of the Road Traffic Act shall be made on form MNP (Manufacturer of Number Plates). Manufactored registration plates shall be required to comply with the requirements of standard specification SABS 1116: ‘Retro-reflective Registration Plates for Motor Vehicles’ Part 2: ‘Registration plates (metal)’; regulation 34(2) and (3).

vehicle chassis number
The manufacturers will be required to keep a register of registration plates manufactured and the register shall contain the licence number brought onto the registration plate concerned; and the chassis number of the vehicle to which the registration plate is sold; and such additional information as required by the Director – Road Transportation Department (RTD).
Manufacturers of registration plates shall only use such materials and processes in the manufacture of registration plates as are approved by the SABS and for which test reports are held on the premises of such manufacturer.
The registration certificate of every manufacturer shall be displayed in a conspicuous position on the premises and in a manner that is visible to members of the public. The RTD director has the powers to cancel or suspend the registration of a registration plates manufacturer and shall notify the latter of such intention and the reason.

written representation
The manufacturer may then make a written representation to the director within 21 days of having received the notification. If the manufacturer’s registration is cancelled, they are expected to submit their certificate or registration to the director within 14 days of such cancellation.
In November 2010, this publication reported that there was only one company – Eco-Rev Distributors, based at Sidwashini industrial site in Mbabane, which supplied the sheets for the registration plates. It also reported that there were companies that did the actual printing of the registration plates.
These eight companies were identified as: Instrument and Control Systems; VICOM (Pty) Ltd; Royston Engineering (Pty) Ltd; Yemane Gebreegziabher Super signs; Naqakf Signs and Plates; Arts and Signs (Simon Simelane);January Masina – JJ Sings and Hopeline.