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National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act No. 93 of 1996)

Regulations

National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000

Chapter VI : Fitness of Vehicles

Part III: Dimensions of vehicles

230. Certain vehicles exempt from provisions of this Part

 

(1) Except for a breakdown vehicle, any vehicle, which is a drilling machine, a mobile crane, a fork lift, a straddle truck, a road making machine, an earthmoving machine, an excavation machine, a construction machine or a loading machine is exempt from the provisions of this Part, except for the provisions of regulations 224 and 226: Provided that—
(a) no such vehicle shall be operated on the roadway of a public road during the period between sunset and sunrise and at any other time when, due to insufficient light or unfavourable weather conditions, persons and vehicles upon the public road would not be clearly discernible at a distance of 150 metres;
(b) the overall width of any such vehicle shall not exceed three and a half metres;
(c) the driver of any such vehicle on the roadway of a public road shall stop such vehicle, and where possible, drive it off the roadway if it be necessary in order to allow other vehicular traffic to pass;
(d) any such vehicle exceeding the overall length prescribed in regulation 221 or the overall width prescribed in regulation 223 shall display two flags of red cloth not less than 600 millimetres by 600 millimetres, in such manner as to indicate its abnormal length or width and such flags shall be suspended from the vehicle transversely to the direction of travel; and
(e) no such vehicle, other than a mobile crane which is operated for the purpose of removing any hazard or obstruction on a freeway, shall be operated on a freeway.

 

(2) Any vehicle, including a tractor, which is not a goods vehicle and which is used solely for bona fide agricultural, horticultural, viticultural or pastoral pursuits and when operated on a public road, is exempt from the provisions of this Part, except for the provisions of regulation 224: Provided that—
(a) no such vehicle shall be operated on the roadway of a public road during the period between sunset and sunrise and at any other time when, due to insufficient light or unfavourable weather conditions, persons and vehicles upon the public road would not be clearly discernible at a distance of 150 metres;
(b) the driver of any such vehicle on the roadway of a public road shall stop such vehicle and, where possible, drive it off the roadway if it be necessary in order to allow other vehicular traffic to pass;
(c) where such vehicle—
(i) exceeds the overall length prescribed in regulation 221;
(ii) encroaches beyond half the width of the roadway except when overtaking other vehicles or crossing bridges; or
(iii) is more than two comma six metres but less than three and a half metres wide,

two flags of red cloth shall be displayed not less than 600 millimetres by 600 millimetres in such manner as to indicate its abnormal length or width and such flags shall be suspended from the vehicle transversely to the direction of travel, but the vehicle may be fitted with amber flashing lights in lieu of such flags; and

(d) the overall width of any such vehicle shall not exceed four and a half metres: Provided further that when the overall width exceeds three and a half metres—
(i) such vehicle shall not normally encroach beyond half the width of the roadway except when overtaking other vehicles or crossing bridges; and
(ii) if such vehicle does encroach beyond half the width of the roadway, two escort vehicles with the headlamps switched on and displaying red flags of the size prescribed in paragraph (c) or amber flashing lights shall be provided, one travelling in front and one to the rear of such vehicle;
(e) no such vehicle shall be operated on a freeway.