The Economic Regulation of Transport Act, 2024 (Act No. 6 of 2024)Chapter 4 : Establishment of InstitutionsPart A : Transport Economic Regulator42. Research and public information |
| (1) | The Regulator must promote public awareness and increase knowledge of the economic nature and dynamics of the transport market, and for that purpose, the Regulator— |
| (a) | must publish— |
| (i) | its decisions on substantive matters in terms of this Act; |
| (ii) | abstracts of non-confidential information reported to the Regulator by regulated entities in terms of section 14; |
| (iii) | results of its completed research or studies regarding the purposes of this Act; |
| (iv) | statistical data collected on the performance of the transport sector; and |
| (v) | any orders and findings of the Council or a court in respect of this Act. |
| (b) | may implement education and information measures to develop public awareness of the purposes of this Act; |
| (c) | may enter into partnerships with universities and other academic institutions to develop training and research programmes; and |
| (d) | may provide guidance to the public by— |
| (i) | issuing explanatory notices outlining its procedures or its non-binding opinion on the interpretation of any provision of this Act; or |
| (ii) | applying to a Court for a declaratory order on the interpretation or application of any provision of this Act. |
| (2) | The Regulator may request any person requesting the Regulator to conduct any research in terms of this Act, to fund the cost of the research, and may decline to conduct such research, if the required funding is not provided. |
| (3) | Any request for research made to the Regulator in terms of subsection (2) must be considered on the merits of its reasonableness and benefits to the industry, after which the necessary funding arrangements may be made by the Regulator and other interested parties. |
| (4) | The Regulator must keep a publicly accessible register, in the prescribed manner and form, of all price controls approved and published in terms of this Act. |
| (5) | When communicating with the public, as required by this section, the Regulator must employ effective means of disseminating information, including freely accessible internet publishing. |