Public Land Transport Authority

Vehicle Permit

VEHICLE PERMIT
A General Driver’s Permit is used to anyone who intends to drive a public land transport anywhere in Vanuatu for the purpose of charging a fee. Driver is a reserve occupation hence the drivers permit will only be issued to a driver who is a citizen of Vanuatu.

VEHICLE PERMIT

Vehicle Permit

A person must not permit his or her vehicle to be used as a public land transport unless that vehicle is issued with a valid vehicle permit under section 27.
A person who contravenes subsection (1), commits an offence punishable on conviction, by a fine not exceeding VT100,000.

Power to limit issuance of permits

The Minister on the advice of the Authority, may from time to time by Order, limit the number of public land transport vehicle permits that may be issued by a permit officer.

Issuance of vehicle permits

A person who intends to operate a vehicle as a public land transport is to apply in the prescribed form for a vehicle permit to the permit officer for the region in which the vehicle is to be driven.
The permit officer for the region in which the vehicle is to be driven may only issue or renew the permit if he or she is satisfied:

that the vehicle has been issued a certificate of roadworthiness; and
that the vehicle is properly equipped for transporting, in comfort, the number of persons it is permitted to carry; and
that the vehicle is constructed and equipped according to the standards set out in the Regulations; and
the vehicle has a valid third party insurance cover; and
in the case of a taxi, the taxi meter has been certified under subsection 32(3); and
the owner has paid the prescribed fee.

A vehicle permit is to be in the form prescribed by the Minister and is to specify the maximum number of passengers that may be transported in the vehicle.

Term and renewal of a vehicle permit

A vehicle permit expires on the 31st of December of each year.
The application for the renewal of a vehicle permit must be made before the expiry of the permit.
A person who renews a vehicle permit after the permit expires is to pay a late renewal fine of VT5,000.
If a vehicle is not used as a public land transport for over a period of 3 consecutive months, the vehicle permit is deemed to have expired and is to be surrendered by the owner of the vehicle to the permit officer. exceeding VT20,000.
Subsection (4) does not apply if the permit officer has written confirmation from a garage that the vehicle is undergoing repair at that garage. exceeding VT20,000.

Transfer of vehicle permit

A public land transport vehicle permit may only be transferred by the Authority.
If an owner of a public land transport vehicle intends to sell that vehicle, he or she must surrender the vehicle permit to the permit officer.
To avoid doubt, the Authority must compensate an owner of a public land transport under subsection (2) at a rate prescribed by the Minister on the advice of the Authority.
A person who contravenes subsection (2), commits an offence punishable on conviction, by a fine not exceeding VT500,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months.