The Eastern Cape Transport Department has announced a 10 % hike in license fees for heavy vehicles with a tare weight above 3500kg and 8.5% for all vehicles from 0 - 3500kg with effect from 1 April 2016.
Department spokesperson, Ncedo Kumbaca, said provinces increase the fees annually and the increase will bring the province in line with some of the other provinces.
He said the proposed increase is fair and did take into cognizance the National Consumer Price Index (CPI).
"Furthermore, Heavy vehicle overloading is a major problem in the Eastern Cape. New developments like the Coega Development Cooperation have brought new challenges to the Province in managing overloading and policing of heavy motor vehicles on our roads,"Kumbaca added.
He said "overloaded vehicles cause a disproportionally large amount of damage to the road network. It is estimated that approximately 60% of the damages to the roads in South Africa is caused by overloaded vehicles representing R700 million to R800 million per year on a National Level and an estimate of R70 million to R80 million per annum in the Province of the Eastern Cape."
"Heavy vehicles play an important role in the economy, and are expected to remain a common sight on our roads in the foreseeable future. Having these vehicles on our provincial roads has its advantages and disadvantages. Heavy vehicles are mostly responsible for the road damages on our roads due to their size and the type of loads it carries. Road pavement structures are designed to carry a given number of standard axle load repetitions. Overloading reduces the design life of these structures."
"Overload vehicles are estimated to be responsible for R400 millions of unnecessary road damage per annum. Overload vehicles are a traffic hazard not just for overload, road damage by also to road safety in general. All these factors did played a role in the decision of the department to increase the licence fees for heavy vehicles by 10%," he added.
