Transport ministry halts penalties for tour operators

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga has instructed law enforcement officers to refrain from unduly penalising tour operators awaiting their licence renewals from the department to the relief of several tourism industry players.

Her decision came into effect in June and the department has notified all provincial transport MECs.

Read: Moratorium will stop traffic police from harassing tourist vehicles

The move comes in the wake of the tourism industry being at loggerheads with the Department of Transport (DoT) for punishing the country’s tour operators for not having valid vehicle operating licences, when in fact the issue was with the National Public Transport Regulator Committee (NPTR), which has experienced delays with issuing new licences on time.

The waiver enables tour operators that have applied for a licence renewal 30 days before the expiry date to avoid penalties by presenting their expired licence together with proof of their application for a licence renewal to the relevant authorities.

Move welcomed

“This resolution sent to all MECs in writing will be a welcomed relief to tour operators who have applied in time for licence renewals and are waiting for their renewed licences to be issued by the DoT,” Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille said in a statement on Friday.

“The penalising and impoundment of tour operator vehicles dealt a heavy blow to the industry and through the collective efforts of government and the private sector, namely the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) and the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (Satsa), we have been able to resolve this matter,” she added.

“The Department of Tourism will continue working with the DoT and all role-players to continue reducing red tape and creating an ease of doing business for the tourism sector to allow the sector to grow and contribute even more to the country’s economy,” said De Lille.

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