Forum comes up with practical solutions to over-border trucking issues

A document that spells out solutions to border procedures, load limits and infrastructure issues faced by over-border truckers will be presented to the Comesa/ EAC/SADC Tripartite alliance in the next few weeks. That’s the outcome of the recent first-of-its-kind Trucker’s Forum held in Johannesburg. According to Barney Curtis, chief executive of the Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations (Fesarta), the two-day workshop attended by more than 100 delegates from across the region saw a practical and implementable document drafted. “This was not a conference,” he said, “but a workshop where truckers worked together to come up with some real solutions to the key issues faced every day.” Potential solutions for five key issues were debated and discussed before being drawn up into the final document that will be handed over to the Tripartite Alliance, the highest body in the region, that will incorporate it into their trade and transport agenda. The issues on the table were: border procedures, documentation, smuggling and infrastructure; load limits and overloading control; excessive and arbitrary charges, levies and taxes; the unacceptable level of road safety; and the low level of adherence to regulations. During the informal participatory process, delegates were given the opportunity to voice their concerns and potential solutions to these problems in the region, while various experts gave input and advice. According to Curtis, once the document is presented to the Tripartite, Fesarta will monitor its progress and subsequent implementation of the solutions. “The next Trucker’s Forum that will take place in Nairobi next year will then be able to give feedback as to what has happened and what the next steps are. We have started a process through this forum that will take us forward in bringing the much-needed solutions to the region to facilitate trade.”