DOT proposes study into transport pricing

Anna Cox
THE DEPARTMENT of Transport is in the process of drafting a National Freight Logistics Framework to try to address the problems of inefficiencies faced by sellers and buyers of goods and services in the entire logistics chain, said transport minister Dullah Omar at the opening of the 21st SA Transport Conference last week.
The process extends beyond the transport system
to include communications, warehousing and distribution which are competencies that do not lie within the department, but with other departments, he said.
"The department, in consultation with Spoornet and road hauliers, is working towards finding the optimal balance between road and rail freight. Its objective is to maximise the investment in the rail freight infrastructure, rolling stock and
systems currently operating below capacity and stabilise the increasing costs of maintaining the road infrastructure without increasing the tariffs payable by the consignor, and without reducing the quality of services especially as regards time," he said.
A wide range of possible measures to address these challenges have been proposed. These include a study which will look at land
transport pricing; rail transport capacity problems;
improved law enforcement in curbing overloading; and increasing the investment allocation to Spoornet.