‘Hoax’ blockade email sets industry abuzz

The freight industry was abuzz last week over a message, circulated around the Blackberry cellphone network and on the Internet, warning that major freeways around Gauteng would be deliberately blocked by trucking and logistics companies on April 25 as a protest against the government’s proposed implementation of a new toll system. Hoax or no hoax? That’s the question that is doing the rounds, as major players in the SA trucking industry prove unable to find any credible source for the message. But at the same time, although they have no confirmation of it, they are unable to deny the possibility completely. While you would have thought that the involvement of some major truckers in Gauteng would have been necessary to conduct such a blockade effectively, you only need to note that just a couple of stationary articulated trucks parked nose-to-tail across a roadway would be enough to totally lock up a freeway. The message does not name any of the companies that are participating in the supposed protest nor does it state the source of its information. So, to try to substantiate or negate the threat, FTW did the telephonic rounds of some of the most knowledgeable parties in the SA trucking industry. While Gavin Kelly, technical and operations manager of the Road Freight Association (RFA), had investigated the matter, he claimed to be “none the wiser” after his efforts. “But we are completely distancing ourselves from this supposed protest action.” RFA colleague Barney Curtis, executive officer of the Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations (Fesarta), was equally puzzled about the origins and validity of the threat. “I have heard nothing on my rounds, and can’t say whether it’s true or not.” Joe Grove, CEO of Unitrans, had also heard nothing from his trade contacts. “I was made aware of it by the RFA. But no word from elsewhere, and I presume it’s a hoax.” Garth Bolton, joint CEO of Cargo Carriers, told FTW he had been unable to find any confirmation of the proposed blockade. But, he added: “It’s probably not the best way of going about it (a protest against the tolling system).” Fellow Cargo Carriers executive, Mike Scott, also chairman of Fesarta, pointed out what a costly exercise such a blockade of the Gauteng freeway system would be. “I don’t see why truckers would do something like this, when they are going to be losing a lot of bucks if they have their trucks off the road for even only a day. I suspect it’s a hoax, but we’ll wait and see.”