Transportation – within the borders of South Africa, freight, passengers, goods and other commodity are primarily transported by rail, road, sea and aviation (and by pipeline for petroleum fuel & gas products). Collectively, the South African transport sector employs hundreds of thousands of people in the formal and informal sectors. A logistics survey conducted in 2007 shows that approximately 87% of all land freight tonnage is carried by road as opposed to rail. South Africa has the longest road network of any country in Africa. The Department of Transport is to lead the provision of an integrated, sustainable, reliable and safe transport system…
Various entities report to the Minister of Transport, including the South African National Roads Agency Limited, South African Maritime Safety Authority, Cross-Border Road Transport Agency, South African Civil Aviation Authority, Road Accident Fund, Urban Transport Fund, Air Traffic and Navigation Services Company, Airports Company South Africa and the National Transport Information System.
Transnet Limited is a Public Entity and a focused freight transport and logistics company and comprises operating divisions that include rail freight, ports and terminals, pipelines, and engineering.
This article basically focuses on road transportation with emphasis on how road vehicles are classified and defined.
Why are vehicles classified?
Vehicles are classified and categorized into different classes so that stakeholders are able to define different types of vehicles into an organized system for practical reasons and legal purpose; it also forms a basis or departure point to be read in conjunction with other compliance standards including the required type and status of operating permits, drivers licenses, applicable safe load configurations or original equipment manufacturing standards or even calculating toll fees…
Excluding the definition of ‘abnormal vehicles' that are so defined when it exceeds legal parameters, classifications of vehicles are primarily orientated toward mass load and the carrying capacity or load permissible per axle per class of vehicle.
In order to sustain investment in road networks and for reasons of road safety, permissible dimensions and masses of vehicles operating on public roads are limited. The South African National Road Agency Limited is responsible (reporting to the Department of Transport) and minimum compliance standards are set by the Road Traffic Act and Regulations. Notwithstanding the major negative economic impacts ‘overloading' has in terms of maintenance and destruction of roads, Safety and sustainability to the road network, users and vehicles are directly compromised if a vehicle is overloaded.
An overloaded vehicle is more difficult to handle and will take longer to stop. Technically the design of the vehicle, including Tyres, brakes and shock absorbers are also compromised contributing to safety risk of road users.
In addition to the above reference to categories of motor vehicles, commercial or leisure orientated classification descriptions in regards type, make and model of vehicles like passenger sedans, 4X4, SUV, utility, light commercial or industrial vehicle categories has a different meaning and purpose.
CLASSIFICATION OF MOTOR VEHICLES
Typically four descriptive vehicle classifications are used in South Africa:
DEFINITION OF VEHICLES
Legally, vehicles are defined in terms of its dimensions and the load (freight) capacity including subsequent permissible maximum axle massload, unit maximum massload, vehicle mass, load on tyres, permissible combination mass, and massload carrying capacity of roads, bridges and so forth.
South Africa's Provincial roads have 56 tons permissible mass load which is of the highest in the world. Economically, the overloading of ‘heavy vehicles' contributes significantly to excessive destruction of road infrastructures that were not designed to carry such heavy loads.
Many transport operators or taxi drivers believe they make money by overloading, but overloading of vehicles and trailers is dangerous and it damage roads and cause higher maintenance costs to infrastructure as well as to the vehicle.
The following definitions in relation to vehicles apply in South Africa:
With the number of light motor vehicles in existence in South Africa, a popular mode of transport is long distance inter-city transfer of contract cars by road on car carrier trucks. Private vehicles and vehicles that are not in working order are also transported between destinations on a carrier (specially designed truck to transport cars). Vehicles are also transported by rail.
The information above was prepared by Intu-Afrika Business Consultants (IABC) for information purposes.
As applicable, certain content covered may be subject to change without notice by relevant regulating authorities. The information or explanation contained here in full or part does do not constitute legal advice.
Various entities report to the Minister of Transport, including the South African National Roads Agency Limited, South African Maritime Safety Authority, Cross-Border Road Transport Agency, South African Civil Aviation Authority, Road Accident Fund, Urban Transport Fund, Air Traffic and Navigation Services Company, Airports Company South Africa and the National Transport Information System.
Transnet Limited is a Public Entity and a focused freight transport and logistics company and comprises operating divisions that include rail freight, ports and terminals, pipelines, and engineering.
This article basically focuses on road transportation with emphasis on how road vehicles are classified and defined.
Why are vehicles classified?
Vehicles are classified and categorized into different classes so that stakeholders are able to define different types of vehicles into an organized system for practical reasons and legal purpose; it also forms a basis or departure point to be read in conjunction with other compliance standards including the required type and status of operating permits, drivers licenses, applicable safe load configurations or original equipment manufacturing standards or even calculating toll fees…
Excluding the definition of ‘abnormal vehicles' that are so defined when it exceeds legal parameters, classifications of vehicles are primarily orientated toward mass load and the carrying capacity or load permissible per axle per class of vehicle.
In order to sustain investment in road networks and for reasons of road safety, permissible dimensions and masses of vehicles operating on public roads are limited. The South African National Road Agency Limited is responsible (reporting to the Department of Transport) and minimum compliance standards are set by the Road Traffic Act and Regulations. Notwithstanding the major negative economic impacts ‘overloading' has in terms of maintenance and destruction of roads, Safety and sustainability to the road network, users and vehicles are directly compromised if a vehicle is overloaded.
An overloaded vehicle is more difficult to handle and will take longer to stop. Technically the design of the vehicle, including Tyres, brakes and shock absorbers are also compromised contributing to safety risk of road users.
In addition to the above reference to categories of motor vehicles, commercial or leisure orientated classification descriptions in regards type, make and model of vehicles like passenger sedans, 4X4, SUV, utility, light commercial or industrial vehicle categories has a different meaning and purpose.
CLASSIFICATION OF MOTOR VEHICLES
Typically four descriptive vehicle classifications are used in South Africa:
- Class 1: Light vehicles: Light vehicles are motor vehicles, other than heavy vehicles as defined below, with or without a trailer, and include motorcycles, motor tricycles and motor cars.
- Class 2: Medium heavy vehicles: Medium heavy vehicles are heavy vehicles, as defined below, with two axles.
- Class 3: Large heavy vehicles: Large heavy vehicles are heavy vehicles, as defined below, with three or four axles.
- Class 4: Extra large heavy vehicles: Extra large heavy vehicles are heavy vehicles, as defined below, with five or more axles.
DEFINITION OF VEHICLES
Legally, vehicles are defined in terms of its dimensions and the load (freight) capacity including subsequent permissible maximum axle massload, unit maximum massload, vehicle mass, load on tyres, permissible combination mass, and massload carrying capacity of roads, bridges and so forth.
South Africa's Provincial roads have 56 tons permissible mass load which is of the highest in the world. Economically, the overloading of ‘heavy vehicles' contributes significantly to excessive destruction of road infrastructures that were not designed to carry such heavy loads.
Many transport operators or taxi drivers believe they make money by overloading, but overloading of vehicles and trailers is dangerous and it damage roads and cause higher maintenance costs to infrastructure as well as to the vehicle.
The following definitions in relation to vehicles apply in South Africa:
- "Abnormal vehicle" means a motor vehicle exceeding the legal dimensions as described in the Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act No. 93 of 1996), as amended, or in any other law.
- "Axle" means a device or set of devices, whether continuous across the width of the vehicle or not, about which the wheels of the vehicle rotate and which is so placed that, when the vehicle is travelling straight ahead, the vertical centre-lines of such wheels are in one vertical plane at right angles to the longitudinal centre-line of such vehicle. Axle shall also include an axle that is lifted and of which the wheels are not in contact with the road surface.
- "Heavy axle" means an axle the wheels of which are fitted with tyres of a size (bead seat diameter) greater than 406,4 millimetres (16 inches), or an axle with more than two (2) wheels irrespective of tyre size, but excluding any axle of a motorcycle, a motor tricycle or a motor car.
- "Heavy vehicle" means a motor vehicle with at least one heavy axle and/or any vehicle which is principally designed or adapted for the conveyance of persons exceeding sixteen (16) in numbers.
- "Light delivery vehicle" means a motor vehicle designed or adapted for the conveyance of persons and freight with no heavy axle as defined in paragraph 1.3 above.
- "Light vehicle" means a motor vehicle, other than a heavy vehicle.
- "Motor car" means a motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle or a motor tricycle, designed or adapted solely or principally for the conveyance of persons not exceeding sixteen (16) in numbers, but excluding any vehicle with an axle with more than two (2) wheels irrespective of tyre size.
- "Motorcycle" means a motor vehicle that has two wheels and includes any such vehicle having a side-car attached thereto.
- "Motor tricycle" means a motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle with a side-car, which has three wheels and which is designed to be driven by means of the type of controls usually fitted to a motorcycle.
- "Motor vehicle" means an entity comprising of one or more mechanically/electrically powered units with or without any trailer(s) physically joined by means of tow bars, tow ropes or mechanical articulation, and includes, inter alia: (1) a motorcycle; (2) a motor tricycle; (3) a motor car; (4) a vehicle which has pedals and a mechanically/electrically powered unit as an integral part thereof or attached thereto and which is designed or adapted to be propelled by means of either such pedals or such mechanical/electrical unit or both; and (5) a light delivery vehicle (a bakkie).
- "Trailer" means a vehicle which is not self-propelled and which is designed or adapted to be drawn by a motor vehicle but does not include a side-car attached to a motorcycle.
With the number of light motor vehicles in existence in South Africa, a popular mode of transport is long distance inter-city transfer of contract cars by road on car carrier trucks. Private vehicles and vehicles that are not in working order are also transported between destinations on a carrier (specially designed truck to transport cars). Vehicles are also transported by rail.
The information above was prepared by Intu-Afrika Business Consultants (IABC) for information purposes.
As applicable, certain content covered may be subject to change without notice by relevant regulating authorities. The information or explanation contained here in full or part does do not constitute legal advice.
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