Nearly half a million truck & public transport drivers don’t hold valid permits to drive on South African roads.

Road Traffic Management Corporation – RTMC chief executive Makhosini Msibi announced today that the corporation had found that nearly half-a-million professional drivers were operating without the proper documentation.

He said 433 973 expired professional driving permits were recorded on the national traffic information system on 31 December 2014 – representing 43.3 percent of all PrDPs issued in South Africa.

The RTMC said the provinces that recorded the highest increase in the number of expired PrDPs were Gauteng with 366 761 or 49.8 percent, KwaZulu-Natal recorded 201 628 or 43.6 percent, and Northern Cape had 32 549 or 42.5 percent.

Msibi said: “Drivers are required to produce a medical fitness certificate and maintain a clean criminal record in order to obtain a professional driver’s permit.”

Who needs a Professional Driving Permit?

Operating a vehicle with a gross vehicle mass of more than 3500kg –

Carrying dangerous goods – need a D category PrDP

A Break-Down vehicle – need a G category PrDP

A Goods vehicle – need a G category PrDP

A bus, designated to carry more than 12 people(including the driver) – need a P category PrDP

Used to carry paying passengers – need a P category PrDP

Other Criteria:

You can only obtain a PrDP if you:

• have a valid driving licence for the type of vehicle in question
• have been certified as medically fit by a doctor
• have been certified by an approved training body [only required for category D (dangerous goods) vehicles]
• do not have a criminal record for (in the past five years):
  • driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or a drug having a narcotic effect
  • driving a motor vehicle while the concentration of alcohol in your blood or breath exceeded a statutory limitation
  • in the case of an application for a category P and D permit, an offence of which violence was an element.
• have never had your driving licence suspended
• have never been convicted of a criminal offence or paid an admission-of-guilt fine.

PrDP’s have to be renewed every 2 years.

We can easily verify a Drivers License and screen for Criminal Records for your company.

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