Transport General Amendment Act

This provision amends section 2 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1951 by adding several vessel-related definitions and changing the definition of “vessel.”

A ship may be registered in the Republic only if its whole ownership meets the listed nationality/status requirements, and a ship already registered elsewhere may be registered only if the court-sale and proof conditions are met.

This section amends Merchant Shipping Act provisions on registration proof, gold franc valuation, and disclosure of report information by the Director-General or an authorised person.

The Minister may make shipping-related notifications, declarations, and regulations, and an appeal lies to the Minister when a Director-General penalty exceeds five hundred rand.

The Minister may, by notice in the Gazette, incorporate international shipping standards into the regulations by reference.

This section amends the Fifth Schedule to the Merchant Shipping Act, 1951, as indicated in the Schedule.

The amendment adds rules about designating medical examiners and a body or institution, including suspension or withdrawal, certificate issuance, standards, training, control, record-keeping, and advice to the Commissioner.

This section amends definitions in the Road Traffic Act, 1989 for road parts such as roadway, shoulder, verge, kerb line, and related terms.

This amendment changes the age rule for certain motor-cycle-related licences: the applicant is under 16 years in the listed cases.

A driver's licence testing centre may be registered and graded, under prescribed conditions, but only to test applicants for learners' licences.

This section amends the Road Traffic Act rules so a driver's licence may be endorsed to limit driving to certain vehicle types or to note driving with a physical aid.

This provision amends section 24B of the Road Traffic Act, 1989 by deleting subsection (4).

This section inserts a new subsection about professional driving permits, saying various permit matters must be as prescribed.

This section repeals sections 42 to 49 of the Road Traffic Act, 1989.

This section amends section 55A so disqualification periods run from the date of sentence, and courts must tell convicted persons about the relevant rules before sentencing.

This section changes who counts as the operator of certain motor vehicles and requires registration as the operator in specified cases.

A driver passing another vehicle on a public road must pass on the right at a safe distance and must not move back to the left until safely clear.

A person must not drive a motor vehicle on the shoulder of a public road, except in the stated circumstances.

This section amends road-turning rules for drivers: a driver turning left must signal before the turn, keep as near as possible to the left edge, and turn with due care; the amended text also refers to steering near the right edge in another paragraph.

This provision amends the Afrikaans text of section 97 by replacing paragraph (e).

This section amends a road traffic rule to prohibit parking a vehicle on certain parts of the roadway or shoulders outside an urban area, except in a demarcated parking place.

The council may exempt an air carrier’s licence holder from giving certain particulars or information when that holder applies for a licence under section 15.

This section names the Act and says specified sections start on a date set by the President in the Gazette.

This Schedule defines “the Convention” as the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as contained in the Fifth Schedule to the Merchant Shipping Act, 1951.

This section amends Regulation Ill by changing one definition, deleting some paragraphs, replacing wording, and renumbering paragraphs.

The text amends a regulation so that, for radio officers and radiotelephone operators, Administrations may do something further, but the excerpt does not state the full rule.

This provision amends Regulation 114 by replacing the words “radio officer” with “radio operator” and adds a new Regulation 115 on conduct of trials.

These Regulations do not stop an Administration from authorizing flag to participate in trials.

This provision defines “trial” as an experiment or series of experiments conducted over a limited period, possibly using automated or integrated systems.

The Administration must be satisfied that trial ships operate with at least the same safety and pollution-prevention level as the Regulations, and the trials must follow Organization-adopted guidelines.

Details of the trials must be reported to the Organization at least six months before the trials are scheduled to start.

The Administration must report the results of authorized trials and any related recommendations to the Organization, and the Organization must circulate them to all Parties.

A Party objecting to authorised trials should tell the Organization as early as practicable, and the Organization must share the objection details with all Parties.

An Administration that has authorized a trial should respect objections from other Administrations by directing its ships not to engage in the trial in the coastal State’s waters when that State has objected to the Organization.

An Administration may let certain ships keep operating with a tested system indefinitely if the trial shows the system is at least as safe and pollution-preventing as the Regulations, but it must share details of the authorization and follow the listed oversight steps.

This section amends the Appendix to Regulation 1112 of Chapter II of the Convention Annex by replacing several training and knowledge items.

This section amends several maritime training and terminology provisions in the Convention annexes.

Chapter IV of the Annex to the Convention is replaced with a chapter on radio personnel, including radio watchkeeping and maintenance.

This Chapter applies to radio personnel on ships operating in GMDSS.

Radio personnel on certain ships must comply with an older international training and certification convention until 1 February 1999.

Ship radio operators must hold an approved certificate; some must also be at least 18, pass medical fitness checks, and meet appendix requirements.

Certification knowledge must be enough for radio officer operators to do their radiocommunication duties safely and efficiently, and the Administration must consider relevant Organization recommendations when setting knowledge and training levels.

Radio operators must have knowledge and practical training in specified emergency, safety, and communications subjects, in addition to meeting Radio Regulations certificate requirements.

The Administration may adjust the knowledge and training required for issuing a radio operator’s certificate, if it is satisfied the existing certificate standard is adequate.

Radio operators with Administration-issued or recognized certificates must keep meeting medical fitness and professional competence requirements to remain qualified for seagoing service.

The Administration may require radio operators to pass approved tests or training when new shipboard modes, equipment, or practices are being introduced, and radio operators must complete approved training or exams to keep qualifying for seagoing service. The Administration must also make recent international regulatory changes available to ships entitled to fly its flag.

Administrations are encouraged to set up or promote refresher and updating courses for radio operators serving at sea, including re-entrants to seagoing service.

This section amends maritime certification rules for survival craft and rescue boats.

This section is about various devices used for launching survival craft and rescue boats.

This section replaces listed paragraphs about launching and handling survival craft and rescue boats in rough sea or rough weather, and about radio life-saving appliances carried in them.

This section concerns the effects of hypothermia, how to prevent it, and the use of protective covers and garments such as immersion suits and thermal protective aids.

This section lists topics on starting and operating survival craft or rescue boat engines and using emergency or motor lifeboats for marshalling liferafts and rescuing people at sea.

Section heading about beaching of survival craft and rescue boats.