Gauteng Transport Dept making progress with voluntary vehicle testing programme

The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport said it is making steady progress with its voluntary vehicle testing programme.

The initiative, which began in February, aims to improve compliance with road safety standards and formalise transport operations across the province.

It also includes the issuing of operating licences to qualifying minibus taxi and scholar transport operators.

Department spokesperson Lesiba Mpya said they’ve seen a sharp increase in the number of vehicles tested each day, with additional support from private testing stations, helping to manage volumes.

Mpya said inspections have uncovered serious defects in some vehicles.

“At some point, of course, vehicles are coming at different degrees of defects. At one point, we would have impounded 51 buses, scholar transport buses, only for three to be declared fit for the road and the rest of the 49 were kept in our impound facilities.”