Regulations > National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000 > Schedules

SCHEDULE 4

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION AND GRADING OF TESTING STATIONS

CONTENTS

1. SCOPE

Matters pertaining to the minimum physical facilities of a vehicle testing station, the personnel, control, testing requirements and operational requirements are prescribed herein.

The grades of vehicle testing stations to which these minimum requirements apply are—

1.1	Grade A - authorized and equipped to test and examine any motor vehicle.

1.2	Grade B - authorized and equipped to test buses, minibuses and goods vehicles with a gross vehicle mass not exceeding 3 500 kg GVM and any other motor vehicle with a tare not exceeding 3 500 kg:

Provided that an existing testing station may be graded as a—

(a)	Grade C - authorized and equipped to test all motor vehicles, a grade A testing station is authorized to test, excluding vehicles indicated on the registration certificate of the testing station; or

(b)	Grade D - authorized and equipped to test all motor vehicles a grade B testing station is authorized to test, excluding vehicles indicated on the registration certificate of the testing station,

If such testing station does not comply with all the requirements of this Schedule, the MEC may place such conditions on the registration certificate is he or she deems necessary and may change the grading of a testing station to a grade A or B, as applicable, if such testing station complies with all the requirements.

2. DEFINITIONS

"inspection pit" means a pit with safe access for the examiner of vehicles that allows unimpeded longitudinal floor working space and has a motor vehicle entrance and exit;

"play detector" means a device that tests wear on components of the chassis;

3. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

A vehicle testing station must have the equipment and facilities indicated in the table below and must use such equipment to evaluate the roadworthiness of a motor vehicle.

		GRADE A	GRADE B
1.	Brake roller tester	10 000 kg capacity	2 000 kg capacity
2.	Examination pit	At least 18 metres, unless such station was registered before 1 February 2000, at least five metres	At least five metres
3.	Area for checking rearview field of vision	√	√
4.	Safe or strong room	√	√
5.	Hydraulic jack or play detector	10 000 kg capacity	2 000 kg capacity
6.	Wheel alignment equipment	10 000 kg capacity	2 000 kg capacity
7.	Kingpin and fifty wheel gauges	√	√
8.	Tyre tread depth gauge	√	√
9.	Vehicle height gauge	√	√
10.	Measuring tape	30m	5m
11.	Crow-bar	√	√
12.	Plumb line	√	√
13.	Inspection lamp	√	√
14.	Straight edge	√	√
15.	Head lamp aim checking device/screen	√	√
16.	Wheel mass meter	√	√
17.	Suitable road test area	√	√
18.	Vernier gage	√	√
19.	NaTIS terminal	√	√

Provided that a testing station registered prior to the implementation of this Schedule, shall comply with the requirements for a play detector after two years from the date of publication of this schedule in the government gazette.

Provided further that a wheel mass meter shall be capable of being linked to a brake tester and to calculate the brake requirements and provide a printed brake report after two years from the date of publication of this schedule in the government gazette.

[Schedule 4, item 3, substituted by regulation 77(a) of Notice No. R. 846 of 2014]

4. PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS

4.1	MANAGEMENT REPRESENTATIVE

(a)

The testing station proprietor shall appoint a management representative who shall be a qualified examiner of vehicles registered as such by the MEC in terms of Section 3 of the Road Traffic Act, 1989, (Act No. 29 of 1989) or section 3A of the National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act No. 93 of 1996) and who has the necessary authority for and responsibility to ensure that the levels of technical and managerial competence required for the successful evaluation of the Testing Station are maintained in terms of the relevant Schedules of the National Road Traffic Regulations.

The management representative shall be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Testing Station and supervision of staff of the Testing Station and from a date to be determined by the Minister, has at least two years proven experience as an examiner of vehicles at a registered vehicle testing station.

(b)	The provisions of item 4.1 (a) will come into operation 12 months after the date of publication of this regulations in the government gazette.

4.2 EXAMINER OF VEHICLES

The testing station proprietor shall appoint at least one examiner of vehicles other than the management representative who shall be registered and graded in terms of section 3 of the Road Traffic Act, 1989 (Act No. 29 of 1989).

4.3 NATIS OFFICER

A person employed by the testing station proprietor shall be registered by the MEC as a NaTIS officer, and such person shall sign the NaTIS User Undertaking required to obtain NaTIS access.

5. QUALITY SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

5.1	Testing stations shall keep all records as required by regulation 331 and shall submit monthly statements to the MEC who registered such testing station and the inspectorate of testing stations in the format as shown in the table below:

RECONCILIATION PERIOD:	……………………./…………………/……………… TO
	……………………./…………………/………………
STATION NAME :	…………………………………………………………………………………………………
INFRASTRUCTURE NUMBER:	…………………………………………………………………………………………………

		1	2	3	4	5
		STOCK SERIAL NO. START	STOCK SERIAL NO. END	NO. ISSUED ON NaTIS	NO. ISSUED MANUALLY	TOTAL
1	STOCK AT BEGINNING OF MONTH
2	ADDITIONAL STOCK RECEIVED
3	SUB TOTAL (1 + 2)
4	NO. OF CERTIFICATES ISSUED
5	NO. OF CANCELLED CERTIFICATES
6	NO. OF RE-ISSUES
7	TOTAL NO. OF CERTIFICATES USED (4 + 5 + 6)
8	STOCK AT END OF MONTH (3 - 7)

CHECKED BY :

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

APPROVED BY :

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

DESIGNATION

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

5.2	A testing station shall comply with the Quality Management System as contemplated in SANS 10216:

Vehicle test station evaluation.

6.	OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

6.1	A management representative shall not examine more than 150 motor vehicles per month.

[Schedule 4, item 6.1, substituted by regulation 77(b) of Notice No. R. 846 of 2014]

6.2	The testing station proprietor shall by 30 April every year submit a tax clearance certificate.

6.3	A station proprietor shall ensure that the applicable equipment is calibrated at the time intervals as shown in the table below:

SUMMARY OF CALIBRATION CERTIFICATES OF EQUIPMENT FOR TESTING STATION
	EQUIPMENT	Serial number	Calibration date	Calibration Certificate number

1	Brake roller tester
2	Wheel alignment measuring equipment
3	Kingpin and fifth wheel gauges
4	Axle mass meter
5	Height gauge
6	Tapes (5 and 30m)
7	Tyre tread depth gauge
8	Headlight aiming device

6.4	Time periods for calibration.

A testing station proprietor shall ensure that the equipment is calibrated at the time intervals as shown in the tables below:

	EQUIPMENT	TIME INTERVALS FOR CALIBRATION
1	Brake roller tester	12 MONTHS
2	Wheel alignment equipment	12 MONTHS
3	Kingpin and fifty wheel gauges	12 MONTHS
4	Noise meter	3 YEARS
5	Axle mass meter	12 MONTHS
6	Height gauge	12 MONTHS
7	Tapes (5 and 30m)	12 MONTHS
8	Tyre tread depth gauge	12 MONTHS
9	Headlight aiming device	2 YEARS

(Schedule 4 substituted by regulation 24 of Notice No. R. 359 of 2010)