• The Western Cape Government has proposed increases to vehicle licence fees that will come into effect later this year as it stands.
• Residents in the province have until Sunday 17th May to submit their comments on the matter.
• A motor vehicle registration fee will cost R294, up from R282 as outlined in the gazetted increases.

Residents of the Western Cape have until Sunday 17th May to state their opinion on proposed increases to vehicle license fees. With over two million registered vehicles on the roads in the province, these increases affect a large portion of the population.

The Western Cape Government is looking to put these new fees into effect on 1st August and the increases affect vehicles, trailers and caravans of all types and weights. While the increases are minimal, they are still worth noting given the importance of these licences and other documents.

For example, the motor vehicle registration fee will cost R294, up from R282 or a 4.2 percent increase. The increases are extensive but you can use this website to compare the increases that have been gazetted, here[pdf].

“Paying your vehicle licence fees is not just a legal requirement, it is an important contribution to keeping our roads safe, efficient, and reliable for everyone. These fees are directly reinvested into the Western Cape’s road infrastructure, helping to build and maintain the roads that connect our communities, support economic activity, and enable daily life,” Muneera Allie, Western Cape Mobility Department’s Head of Communication said in a statement.

Western Cape Citizens can submit their comments via the following methods:

• Email – Robyn[dot]Titus[at]westerncape[dot]gov[dot]za
• Post – Mr Darryl Jacobs, Head of Department, Attention Ms Robyn Titus, Western Cape Mobility Department, PO Box 2603, Cape Town 8000
• In-person submission – Mr Darryl Jacobs, Head of Department, Attention Ms Robyn Titus, Western Cape Mobility Department, Ground Floor, 34 Roeland Street, Cape Town

As Allie alludes to, the fees garnered from vehicle licences is used to build, upgrade and maintain the provincial road network. The fees also assist municipalities in maintaining their more strategic roads.

Maintaining these roads is of the utmost importance not only to residents but tourists as well. The Western Cape is a premier tourist destination and keep the roads in the province up to snuff is vital to insuring the province continues to be top of mind for travellers.

As we see in Gauteng, failure to maintain roads turns a commute into a rallycross event. This is the result of decades of rot that have strangled the province’s finances and the Western Cape couldn’t be more different.

A reminder again that Western Cape residents should voice their concerns or support of these increases by 17th May.