The future of speed limits in Pretoria is uncertain as the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) remains tight-lipped on its controversial proposal to reduce limits by 10km/h across South Africa, despite initial backing and alignment with UN recommendations.

According to a report by MyBroadband, the proposal was first presented in February 2022 to the Portfolio Committee on Transport, suggesting a reduction of South Africa’s 60km/h residential speed limit to 50km/h and highway speed limits to 110km/h.

RTMC chief communication officer Simon Zwane said the proposed speed limit adjustments align with recommendations made by the United Nations to reduce speed by 10km/h to reduce fatalities.

Zwane told BusinessTech that this decision was binding for South Africa as a member of the UN’s roads council, and the government is favouring the lower speed limits.

He did add that authorities have not yet begun a formal process to change the regulations.

So, what are the proposed speed limits for South Africa:

The RTMC’s proposal would see the following changes to South Africa’s speed limits:

• 60km/h on public roads within an urban area reduced to 50km/h
• 100km/h on public roads outside an urban area which is not a freeway, reduced to 90km/h
• 120km/h on every freeway reduced to 110km/h

Experts weigh in, with road safety experts and managing director of driving.co.Za, Rob Handfield-Jones disagrees with the proposal.

He recently told MyBroadband that there is no evidence linking speed prosecution to safer roads, and reducing speed limits will not necessarily result in fewer road fatalities.

The publication had asked the RTMC for an update on the proposed changes and whether it still plans to implement them, but it hadn’t answered the questions yet.

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