Petrol at R30, now the licence disc renewal may go up - MISA says workers have nothing left to give
13 October 2026
For immediate release
MISA the Motor Industry Staff Association opposes any further increase to vehicle registration and licence fees. MISA calls on government to think very carefully before placing another cost on workers who need a car to get to work.
The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has published draft amendments that may raise the provincial vehicle registration fee by R12 to R240. They are considering raising licence disc renewal fees by between R24 and R156, depending on the weight of the vehicle. If approved, Gauteng will charge the highest licence disc fees in the country for every vehicle under 3,500kg.
On paper, each increase looks small, however when coupled with the recent petrol price hike, this is very expensive for motorists. Last week petrol crossed R30 a litre in Gauteng, adding R133 to the cost of filling a 40-litre tank. Electricity, food and transport costs have outrun household budgets for most of this year.
There may be worse to come. In May, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said her department was considering a new fee on licence disc renewals to fund the Road Accident Fund (RAF). The RAF board has since proposed such a fee in its latest annual report. Motorists with petrol and diesel cars already pay the RAF R2.25 on every litre they buy. A licence fee on top of that would make them pay twice into the same fund.
"Every one of these fees is presented as small and reasonable, but our members pay all of them, out of the same pay slip, in the same month," says Martlé Keyter, Chief Executive Officer: Operations at MISA. "A worker who drives to the factory floor or the dealership is not a wealthy motorist. For many families the car is the only way to get to work. Government cannot keep treating it as a bottomless source of revenue."
"Fix the RAF before asking workers to rescue it," Keyter adds. "Ordinary workers and their families simply cannot afford another increase."
MISA calls on the MEC to withhold approval of the proposed fee increases and also for Transport minister Creecy to rule out any RAF fee on licence disc renewals.
Media & Communication Department. For Media enquiries please contact Phakamile Hlubi-Majola, MISA's Spokesperson, on 083 367 6417 or email [email protected].
#PROUDLYMISA #MISALEADS #MISACARES #MISAONTHEMOVE #MISAFAMILY