‘Excessive’ permit hikes anger overborder hauliers

Angry overborder hauliers
have demanded that the
cash-strapped Cross-Border
Road Transport Agency
rescind its massive increases
in tariffs for permits and
penalties because it makes
it impossible for them to
continue trading.
Facing a desperate fight
for survival, the agency on
April 1
hiked the cost of permits
for truckers by as much as
240% in order to remain
afloat. “We will close our
doors in three months
if we don’t implement
permit tariff increases,”
said Maryna Aucamp, the
agency’s chief financial
officer.
She said the organisation
required R182 million
instead R52 million it has
in the kitty just to carry
out the basics in terms of
its mandate. The agency
currently has a staff
complement of 175 but needs
around 403.
“The permit fees
have not gone up since
2003, our expense base
exceeds income, and all
our resources have been
depleted,” she said Chief executive Sipho
Khumalo said unlike
other regulatory bodies,
the agency was not given
government start-up funds
when it began and therefore
it had to rely solely on
issuing of permits and
imposing penalties for those
without permits for its
survival.
But the move could
force many truckers out of
business.
Operator Rea Botha, who
said she once used to pay
R10 for a permit, called on
the Road Freight Association
to petition Transport
Minister S’bu Ndebele to
reduce the prices.
Freight and logistics
industry representatives
turned out in large numbers
for a briefing on the new
tariffs last week and made
it clear they were not happy.
The agency said it was
sympathetic to the plight
of operators and pledged to
find a way to make everyone
happy.
Khumalo said the
organisation had faced a
number of challenges in
the past 12 years that have
impacted on its ability to
carry out its mandate – one
of the reasons why the
tariffs had remained the
same.
The chief executive is part
of a new management team
hoping to restore the agency
to health.
Khumalo said it was
impossible for the agency’s
77 inspectors to police 52
border posts. “It is no secret
we are struggling as an
agency to protect those with
licences,” he said, adding,
however, that every border
post had a representative.
The permit system
forms part of legislative
requirements aimed at
regulating and monitoring
movement of citizens
between South Africa and
its borders. Fees collected
are used by the agency to
enforce the regulations,
including policing,
monitoring and acting on
behalf of operators.