APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Overview of Regulatory and Permit Application Services
The main function of the Regulatory Services is to regulate the cross border road transport through the issuing of cross border permits which are issued as per the Cross-Border Road Transport Act 4 of 1998 as amended. These permits allow the cross border operators to conduct cross border road transport business in South Africa and the neighbouring countries. Therefore, it is important for all operators who are conducting cross border business to have a cross border permit in order to comply with the cross border road transport Act.
In an effort to offer quality services which suit the needs of our different customers who run different cross border road transport business operations, the C-BRTA offers different types of permits for passenger and freight road transport operators. These are categorized as follows;
- Goods Permits
- Bus Passenger Permits
- Taxi Passenger Permits
- Tourist Passenger Permits
- Organized Group Permits
- Cabotage Permits
In addition, the permits also differ in terms of validity duration so as to suit the needs of our operators. This is because the term of cross border business operations may differ from an operator to operator. In order to respond to these customer needs, the Agency offers temporary permits as well as long term permits. The prices also differ in terms of type and duration of permits. Please refer to the permit fees.
It is important for current and prospective cross border operators to understand the definitions below as they relate to different permit types and related regulatory conditions.
Important definitions for new cross-border entrants as per Cross-Border Road Transport Act 4 of 1998 as amended;
‘Cross-border road transport’ means the transport of passengers and their personal effects or freight for reward or in the course of an industry, trade or business, to or from the Republic, crossing or intending to cross its borders into the territory of another state or in transit across the Republic, or the territory of another state with a vehicle on a public road;
‘Cabotage’ means transport undertaken on a public road by a foreign carrier with a vehicle which involves –
(a) the onloading and offloading of freight or passengers between two points in the Republic; or
(b) the onloading of freight of passengers in the Republic for conveyance to a third state which is not the state of registration of the vehicle used for such transport and where such state of registration is not traversed;
‘Reward’ means any reward or compensation whether monetary or otherwise received in terms of a contract concluded for the hiring of a vehicle and a driver or the hiring of a vehicle and the separate hiring of a driver.’
‘Vehicle’ means-
- in relation to cross-border freight road transport, any mechanically-propelled road vehicle or combination of vehicles which is constructed, adapted or used for the carriage of freight and which exceeds a maximum gross of 3 500 kg;
- in relation to cross-border passenger road transport, any mechanically-propelled road vehicle which is constructed or adapted for the conveyance of passengers or any other vehicle which is used to convey passengers;
- in relation to cabotage, any mechanically-propelled road transport vehicle and, in the case of a combination of vehicles, also a trailer and semi- trailer, which are regarded as separate vehicles.