Draft amendments to the National Land Transport Regulations: Input required
Following extensive lobbying and input from SATSA and the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA), the Minister of Transport published draft amendments to the National Land Transport (NLT) Regulations in the Government Gazette on 25 September 2026. The draft amendments are open for public comment until 9 November 2026.
The explanatory memorandum on the last three pages of the notice (pages 57 to 59) sets out the purpose and rationale behind the changes.
You can access the draft NTL Regulations here.
How to submit your comments
SATSA invites members to comment on the draft amendments. We will collate your input and prepare a single submission to the Department of Transport, in partnership with the TBCSA. Please send your comments to us by Friday, 23 October 2026.
Members may also submit comments directly to the Department by writing to Muzi Simelane at:
Department of Transport
Private Bag X193
Pretoria
0001
Or by email to SimelanM@dot.gov.za
If you comment directly, please copy SATSA at nptr@satsa.co.za so that we can keep track of member submissions.
Making your comments count
The most effective comments are factual and concise. Where possible, please:
- reference the specific regulation or sub-regulation
- describe the error or problem
- explain clearly why it is a concern
- suggest alternative wording, if applicable
Measured, evidence-based input carries far more weight with government than general complaints.
Background to the amendments
The draft amendments are the result of a long consultation process and a significant investment of time and resources by SATSA's Transport Committee, in partnership with the TBCSA, Genesis Analytics, the Department of Tourism and the Department of Transport.
The regulations were carefully drafted, in consultation with SATSA, to remove unnecessary clauses, reduce ambiguity, scrap redundant or irrelevant requirements and simplify the process. The changes aim to align the regulatory process with the original intent and purpose of the National Land Transport Act. If implemented as intended, accredited operators should be able to obtain operating licences more easily and quickly, without the long delays that have become the norm at the National Public Transport Regulator (NPTR). We are hopeful that they will finally resolve many of the challenges that have hampered applications for accreditation and operating licences.
The real effect of the amended regulations will only become clear once the final version has been promulgated and gazetted, and the NPTR begins to implement it. That will happen only after public comments have been reviewed and the draft amendments updated or refined accordingly.
We haven't crossed the finish line yet, but the gazetting of these draft amendments is an encouraging step in the right direction for our ongoing efforts to reform and improve the regulation of tourist transport. Thank you for your continued support and input.
