All to come under one roof
The National, Wednesday February 18th, 2015
By DELLYANNE ILAI
THE Road Traffic Authority will be responsible for the transport system once regulations, fees and fines are introduced next month, an official says.
Acting chief executive officer Nelson Terema said the National Road Safety Council, Land Transport Board, Land Transport Division and Traffic Registry would all come under the Road Traffic Authority.
He said it was vital to work closely with the Motor Vehicle Insurance Ltd, National Capital District Commission, Independent Consumer and Competition Commission, Health, the Police Department and other agencies once the new system was in place.
There will be a centralised data system as well to record and check on vehicle registration, issuing of licences, the roadworthiness of vehicles, fees and fines.
For example, if a licence or registration was lodged in Port Moresby, this would be on the system in Tari, Manus or Daru.
At present the 22 provinces are operating individually.
The authority will check on the roadworthiness of vehicles, validity of drivers’ licences and vehicle registration.
The Road Transport Act passed in 2014 will come into authority once the Asian Development Bank and the AusAID Transport Sector Support Programme complete technical documentation of rules, regulations, fees and fines for the Government to consider.
He said once that was passed, then, they would repeal or revoke the Road Safety Council Act, Road Board Act and Land Transport Division Act.
He said one of the major challenges was to corporatise the transport system in the country. He said only a few licence holders of taxies and buses would come under the terms and conditions of the authority.
He clarified what Minister for Transport William Duma had suggested in Parliament last week on the operation of taxi and bus companies.
“We are not getting the public transport business already operating, but to control and manage the public transport system,” he said.
He said the people must not think that their current businesses would be taken away from them.