NATIONAL NEWS - The Motor Industry Staff Association (Misa) has opposed proposed increases to vehicle registration and licence disc renewal fees in Gauteng, warning that workers are already struggling to cope with rising living costs.

Misa has called on the provincial government to reconsider the proposed increases, arguing that adding further costs to vehicle ownership places additional pressure on workers who rely on their cars to get to work.

The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has published draft amendments that could increase the provincial vehicle registration fee by R12 to R240.

Proposed licence disc renewal increases range from R24 to R156, depending on the vehicle’s weight.

If approved, Gauteng would have the highest licence disc renewal fees in the country for vehicles weighing less than 3,500kg, according to Misa.

While the proposed increases may appear relatively small in isolation, the association says they would add to the financial strain on motorists following the latest fuel price hikes.

Last week, petrol prices exceeded R30 a litre in Gauteng, adding R133 to the cost of filling a 40-litre tank. Electricity, food and transport costs have also placed growing pressure on household budgets.

Misa has warned that motorists could face further increases if the Department of Transport proceeds with plans to introduce an additional fee on licence disc renewals to help fund the Road Accident Fund (Raf).

In May, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said her department was considering such a measure. The Raf board has since proposed a licence renewal fee in its latest annual report.

Motorists who buy petrol and diesel already contribute R2.25 per litre towards the RAF. Misa argues that an additional fee linked to licence disc renewals would place a further burden on motorists contributing to the same fund.

“Every one of these fees is presented as small and reasonable, but our members pay all of them, out of the same pay slip, in the same month,” says Martlé Keyter, Chief Executive Officer: Operations at Misa.

“A worker who drives to the factory floor or the dealership is not a wealthy motorist. For many families the car is the only way to get to work. Government cannot keep treating it as a bottomless source of revenue.”

“Fix the Raf before asking workers to rescue it,” Keyter adds. “Ordinary workers and their families simply cannot afford another increase.”

Misa has called on the Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport to withhold approval of the proposed fee increases. It has also urged Creecy to rule out any additional RAF levy on licence disc renewals.

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