Western Cape drivers can expect to pay 4.5% more for their vehicles license fees if provincial government’s proposal is approved.
Transport and Public Works MEC Donald Grant said draft regulations are now open for public comment until Monday, January 15. Grant said the Western Cape relied on vehicle licence fees to build, upgrade and maintain the provincially owned roads. The fees also contribute to assisting municipalities to fund the maintenance of their more strategic roads; and continuing to reduce the maintenance backlog, which has been decreased by over 16% over the last seven years.
“While not required by law, we have continued to publish these draft regulations for comment so as to allow the close to 2-million vehicles owners in the Western Cape the opportunity to submit their comments,” he said.
Fees are calculated on the vehicle classification.
Vehicles weighing between 250kg and 2000kg will cost drivers between R282 and R696. Vehicles between 2001kg and 4000kg will have motorists forking out between R948 and R2304. Vehicles weighing between 4001kg and 7000kg will cost between R2538 and R8292.
The highest fee is R22 302. This is for vehicles weighing between 11 501kg and 12 000kg. A levy of R2256 will be charged for each additional 500kg or part thereof above 12 000kg.
Drivers can expect to pay between R138 and R696 for trailers with a weight of between 250kg and 2000kg. A breakdown vehicle will be charged according to its weight, and so will a truck-tractor, depending on its use.
A caravan will be charged at R282. License fees for specially classified vehicles will be charged at R102.
According to Grant, “These fees, along with budgetary allocations, help keep the province’s roads in a condition significantly above that of other provinces, with many visitors to this province attesting to this freely and frequently. Our roads are an asset with an approximate value of R68 billion and they are consumed, over time, by the close to 2-million vehicle owners in the Western Cape and other users,” he said.
Grant has called for public comment on the new “CAA” licence mark. He said the move was a pre-emptive one, pushed by the rate the current “CA” licence numbers were being depleted as registration centres were running out of unique combinations for new vehicles.
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