Press Releases

Global NCAP and the Automobile Association of South Africa launch a new round of #SaferCarsForAfrica crash test results today with the welcome support of the FIA Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Today, after the December fuel price adjustment had already come into force at retailers across South Africa, and two full days after the official announcement of the fuel price by Minister Gwede Mantashe, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) announced it had made a mistake with its fuel price calculations.

Fuel prices will be through the roof in December, with the price of oil playing almost no part. This is according to the Automobile Association (AA), which was commenting on price increases announced by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) yesterday (SUBS::29 Nov), and which come into effect at midnight tonight (SUBS::30 Nov). The Association says the increases again point to the need for an urgent investigation and recalculation of the current fuel pricing model and its existing elements.

Schools across South Africa close for the festive season break on 15 December and traffic on the country’s major routes is expected to increase significantly from then on. The Automobile Association (AA) says motorists must prepare both their attitudes and vehicles properly for their journeys.

November fuel price hikes announced by the Minister of Energy last night (Sunday, 1 November) will be disastrous for fuel users and consumers across the board. This is according to the Automobile Association (AA), which says a perfect storm of demand imbalances, refinery costs, natural gas price hikes and Rand weakness would see the petrol price close in on R20 a litre in the runup to Christmas.

The Automobile Association (AA) says an urgent inquiry by Parliament into the operational and financial affairs of the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) is necessary and overdue. The Association says the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport should also summon the Chairperson of the RTMC, Mr Zola Majavu to explain why he made false statements about the funding of the Corporation in the RTMC’s 2020 annual report.

Current data is predicting fuel price hikes of catastrophic proportions at the end of October for November. This is according to the Automobile Association (AA) which was commenting on recent exchange rate and commodities data.

Remarks by Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula, that e-tolls will not be scrapped, and that an e-toll funding solution will be found, are disappointing and out of step with the sentiments of the majority of Gauteng motorists. The Automobile Association (AA) reiterates its long-held view that the e-toll system in its present form will continue to fail as most motorists have a taken a principled stand against making e-toll payments.

Fuel prices are set to increase at month end. This is according to the Automobile Association (AA) which was commenting on recent exchange rate and commodities data.

South African fuel users will enjoy a breather in September, with prices of all grades of fuel set to drop. This is according to the Automobile Association (AA) which was commenting on unaudited month-end fuel price data released by the Central Energy Fund.

Interventions announced today by Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula to deal with problems relating to driving licence renewals are welcomed and indicate real progress in resolving challenges faced by motorists throughout the country.

Fuel price outlooks are showing modest changes in all grades of fuel. This is according to the Automobile Association (AA) which was commenting on unaudited mid-month fuel price data released by the Central Energy Fund

Motorists with expired vehicle discs and driving licences are warned that the grace period for renewals stops at the end of August. And, the Automobile Association (AA) warns, government has indicated that no further extensions will be considered, putting even more pressure on motorists who haven’t yet renewed these documents.

Proposed route extensions to the Gautrain must be rejected by the Gauteng Provincial Government as they will perpetuate a system which caters for the minority of citizens in the province who don’t need it, instead of the mass market which does. This call on the provincial government is contained in a detailed submission of the Automobile Association (AA) made today in relation to the proposed extensions of the Gauteng Rapid Rail Integrated Network, or simply, the Gautrain.

The Automobile Association (AA), in collaboration with the FIA Region I, has distributed another 10 000 high visibility sashes to commuters at various taxi ranks in Gauteng as part of its #ISeeYou campaign. The campaign, launched in 2017, aims to make pedestrians more visible to motorists and is part of the AA’s ongoing road safety campaigns.

The Automobile Association (AA) expresses its condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Dr Johan van Zyl who died on Friday, 30 July.

All fuel types will be more expensive in August when the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) adjusted fuel prices for August. This is according to the Automobile Association (AA) which was commenting on unaudited month-end fuel price data released by the Central Energy Fund (CEF). The fuel price is adjusted on the first Wednesday of every month.

The Automobile Association (AA) is pleased to notify its Members, corporate customers, and the public that it has resumed full operations in KwaZulu-Natal following the grounding of its fleet in the province last week.

The Automobile Association (AA) calls on South Africans to limit all non-essential travel as road transport comes under pressure from unrest and the spectre of fuel shortages. The Association also warns that unaudited mid-month fuel price data from the Central Energy Fund reflected a risk of substantial fuel price hikes at month-end.

Motorists and other road users in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng are advised to plan their trips with care, avoid areas where civil unrest has been reported, and ensure they have access to security back-up if the need it. The Automobile Association (AA) says it is concerned about the economic impact of recent riots on main roads, at toll plazas, and in certain CBD areas, especially on the road freight sector.

The Automobile Association (AA) is pleased that government has heeded calls to clarify issues relating to the implementation of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) but says no real roll-out of the system can occur until the system’s regulations are promulgated.