The Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, 2026 has been passed in the Lower House, moving the government closer to easing the impact of stricter traffic fines introduced earlier this year.
The bill was presented for second reading by the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Senator Eli Zakour.
Six members contributed to the debate before the minister’s wind-up.
The legislation was later approved with amendments and passed on a third reading with 27 votes in favour and 11 against.
In his wrap-up, Minister Zakour said that ultimately the bill will save lives on the nation’s roads.
“Since I have been minister I have met with numerous families who have lost children, their parents. I met one person who lost several members of his family in one road accident, so I don’t understand the negativity. What we are doing here is to save lives. The only persons who have to worry are those who break the law. This is not a revenue exercise. If this works as intended the government will collect less. There will be less violations, less accidents. That is what we are doing.”
The Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation said the bill aims to encourage compliance through warnings and grace periods for minor offences.
He noted that the measures are expected to ease pressure on motorists and the court system once implemented.