Minister for Public Works, Transport and Meteorological Services Ro Filipe Tuisawau announced in Parliament that 460 Rural Service Licences (RSLs) issued prior to January 1, 2018, have been reclassified into either minibus or carrier licences. His comments came in response to inquiries regarding the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) retention of RSL number plates for service providers who have received approval and are currently operating.
Ro Filipe explained that all participants in the transportation sector, including road users, vehicle owners, passengers, and public service vehicle permit holders, are subject to the Land Transport Act of 1998 and its 2000 regulations. He noted that as of January 1, 2018, the LTA stopped issuing new Rural Service Licences due to changes in the Land Transport Public Service Vehicle Regulation.
He highlighted that Regulation 18A sub-regulation (6)(d) classifies any RSL issued before the specified date as either a minibus permit or a road permit for carrier licences, based on the vehicle’s specifications. Following this, the LTA has been actively converting valid RSLs issued before January 1, 2018, according to the type of vehicle.
Ro Filipe assured members of Parliament that the LTA is carefully handling the conversion of all RSLs into minibus licences (LM) or carrier licences (LC) and is fully committed to supporting this transition. He encouraged all permit holders to visit any LTA office to finalize the conversion process and acquire the appropriate number plates.