The Western Cape Government (WCG) has devised a “Freight Demand Model” that quantifies freight volumes on the three main corridors in the Western Cape that could potentially shift from road to rail.It’s all part of a concerted drive to move cargo from road to rail, according to Corrine Gallant, Western Cape deputy director of freight.She said there was awareness of the importance of the modal shift, but it had to be a multi-stakeholder effort.“This proposed shift requires balancing the interests of all parties, the availability and readiness of supporting infrastructure such as branch lines and intermodal facilities matched with appropriate volumes of freight to be moved by rail,” she said.“The envisaged modal shift is complex, and the reality is that large volumes of freight will continue to be moved by road for the foreseeable future.”This meant that the WCG had to work on ways to make road freight movement as efficient and safe as possible. “In the coming years, the WCG will continue to plan for and implement actions to support the increased utilisation of rail in the province. The WCG also plans to consider other modes of moving freight, e.g. maritime freight transport. We will also be investigating ways in which we can assist industry to improve productivity – such as advocating the adoption of the Road Transport Management System (RTMS), and improving road freight safety through promotional messaging,” she said
