Question NW301 to the Minister of Transport

Reply:

The National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act No. 93 of 1996) and its Regulations, provides for the manner in which driving licences are to be issued. In terms of Section 12 of the mentioned Act it is provided that, no person shall drive a motor vehicle on a public road unless the person has an appropriate licence for such vehicle and unless the person keeps such licence in the vehicle. Further, Section 13 determines that no person shall be examined or tested for the purposes to issue a driving licence unless such person holds a learner’s licence.

Regulation 99(1)(a)(b) and (c) of the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000 sets out the different categories of learner’s licences, which are:

(a) Code 1 (learner’s licence for to motor cycles);

(b) Code 2 (learner’s licence for light motor vehicles);and

(c) Code 3 (learner’s licence for heavy motor vehicles and combinations of vehicles).

Both Code 2 and 3 does not include any questions specific to the operation of motor cycles. The rationale for the above is because a person who applies to hold a driving licence for either a light or heavy motor vehicle does not necessarily intend to also hold a motor cycle licence.

Furthermore, the same principle applies in the case where a person who is the holder of a code B driving licence, who intends to apply for a Code C driving licence will have to undergo a process of obtaining a Learner’s Licence again, this time for a Code 3 learner’s licence.

The reason for this is because all the three Codes of learner’s licence differ with regard to the rules of the road and the controls for the operation of the respective motor vehicles.