Section 143, The Road Traffic Act, 2007

(1) The Authority may make regulations generally as tothe use of vehicles on roads, their construction and equipment and the conditions under which they may be used and otherwise for carrying this Act into effect. (2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the Authority may make regulations with respect to any of the following matters:– (a) determining and regulating the size, shape and character of the identification marks and the mode in which they shall be fixed to motor vehicles and trailers and rendered easily distinguishable; (b) as to the registration of motor vehicles and trailers and the particulars to be entered in the register and prescribing the fees to be paid; (c) as to the notification of a change in the ownership of a motor vehicle or trailer and as to registration thereafter; (d) prescribing the different categories within which motor vehicles and trailers may be licensed and the purpose for which vehicles so licensed may be used; (e) regulating the issue and use of special trade licences; (f) prescribing the fees to be paid for licences for motor vehicles and trailers or for any class of vehicles or trailers; (g) (i) prescribing conditions relating to the purposes for which public service vehicles and goods and passenger vehicles may be used; (ii) with respect to the number of persons and goods which may be carried in public service vehicles and goods and passenger vehicles and the carrying of manifest for such goods and passengers; (iii) requiring omnibuses and goods and passenger vehicles designed for the sole purpose of carrying persons and their luggage to carry a conductor; (iv) prohibiting persons from smoking on public service vehicles and from driving public service vehicles and goods and passenger vehicles, or from acting as conductors on public service vehicles required to carry conductors, unless they wear badges issued by the Authority and, in the case of the conductors, are registered by the Authority, and requiring the surrender General penalty. General regulations. 84 85 of such badges in cases where the Authority considers the holder to be unsuitable to drive a public service vehicle or goods and passenger vehicle or to be a conductor on a public service vehicle, as the case may be, and prescribing fees for such badges and for the registration of conductors; (v) prescribing the form and the procedures to be used in appeals against the refusal to grant or renew or the revocation or suspension of licences under this Act; (vi) prescribing the constructional and mechanical requirements for commercial vehicles; (vii) without prejudice to the Road Transport Corporation Act, 1964, empowering any person to fix the maximum and minimum fares and rates which may be charged in the case of commercial vehicles; (viii) without prejudice to the to the Road Transport Corporation Act, 1964 empowering any person to – (a) fix timetables for public service vehicles on any route; (b) determine the days and hours during which public service vehicles may ply for hire on any specified route; (c) require the fitting to hackney carriages of meters or other similar devices to indicate authorised fares; (ix) providing for the additional examination of public service vehicle drivers before the issue of a badge; (h) as to the examination of applicants for driver’s licences, including medical examination, and as to the licences and permits which may be granted and the fees to be paid and providing for the taking and recording of the fingerprint impressions of professional drivers; (i) prohibiting or restricting the driving of vehicles or any class of vehicles on any specified road or part of a road or empowering any specified officer or other authority to impose such prohibitions or restrictions; (j) regulating the use of hand carts or other forms of non-motorised method of carrying goods or persons on the road; (k) with respect to the speed at which motor vehicles or any class of motor vehicle may be driven either generally or on any specified road or within any defined area or place; (l) prescribing precautions to be taken in the interests of the safety and convenience of the public travelling in motor vehicles or otherwise using roads, and providing for the periodical inspection of motor vehicles; (m) providing in respect of drivers of commercial vehicles– (i) the hours they may be employed without a rest; No. 17 of 1964. No. 17 of of 1964. 86 87 (ii) the periods of rest from driving or other employment which must be allowed differentiating, if necessary, between day and night and between drivers who are required only to drive the vehicle and those who have other duties to perform in addition to driving; (n) exempting, or authorising a specified officer or other authority to exempt, from all or any of the provisions of any regulations made hereunder– (i) any specified class of vehicle or trailer; (ii) vehicles or trailers belonging to any particular class of persons; or (iii) any specified areas; or (iv) any specified class of person in the public or military services of the Government and prescribing any conditions of such exemptions; (o) for the purpose of enabling effect to be given to any international agreement for the time being in force in respect of Sierra Leone, making provision– (i) for the grant and authentication of any passes, certificates or other documents relating to vehicles or the drivers of vehicles which may be required for the purposes of travel abroad by persons resident in Sierra Leone; (ii) for the modification in relation to vehicles brought temporarily into Sierra Leone by persons resident abroad, and in relation to persons so resident who are temporarily in Sierra Leone, or any of the provisions of this Act relating to vehicles or the drivers of vehicles; (p) fixing the fees to be paid for passes, certificates and other documents issued in connection with international requirements; (q) with respect to the construction of motor vehicles and trailers and the compulsory examination at any time of motor vehicles or trailers or any class or description thereof and the places and the manner of such examination; (r) with respect to– (i) appointment of certifying officers of motor vehicles and trailers or any class thereof; (ii) the payment of fees for such examination by the owners of such vehicles; (iii) the duties and powers of such certifying officers in regard to such examination; (s) for the cancellation or suspension of any licence issued in respect of any motor vehicle or trailer, which since the issue of the licence is in such condition as to be a source of danger to persons travelling in the vehicle or trailer or to other users of the roads or to be injurious to the roads themselves; (t) prescribing fees and charges for any service for which provision is made by such regulations; (u) prescribing anything which may be prescribed under this Act; (v) regulating the use of mobile phones while driving a motor vehicle or riding a motor cycle or bicycle on a road; 88 89 (w) for the removal of broken-down, disabled or abandoned vehicles; (x) prescribing penalties for the breach of any regulation or rule made under this Act including spot fines: Provided that no such penalty shall exceed imprisonment for a term of six months or a fine of Le200,000 or both. (3) Regulations made under this section may be either general or be restricted in their application to any particular class of motor vehicle, trailer or person or to any specified area.