Industry and state develop truck ban action plan

Alan Peat
TWO ROAD research outfits have now added their statistical muscle to the investigation into congestion on the Gauteng freeway system, according to Costa Pierides of the Road Freight Association (RFA).
They have been briefed to come up with a figurative analysis of the problem, he told FTW. Also to possibly find an alternative answer to the provincial government's plans to slap a ban on heavy freight vehicles during the peak periods of the day - a scheduling and economic disaster for the trucking industry.
Acting on behalf of Gautrans - the provincial transport department - is Arup, major consulting engineers, with the CSIR commissioned by the road transport industry.
The net result of this, according to Pierides, is that there is now a collective (private sector and government) grouping studying the overseas experiences and practices on road congestion - and matching them to the local conditions.
"This is a positive step. Industry and government are collectively addressing this issue and coming up with an action plan."
According to Arup's Alan Mason, his company's focus is on freight movement on motorways and freeways in the province.
"We intend to contextualise this data and try to determine how big an issue freight transport is compared to the other problem generators," he told FTW.
"This is looking at traffic movement and incidents involving heavy freight vehicles and trying to quantify the impacts in general terms."
Under "economic impacts" of road congestion, will be such issues as loss of efficiency, time and inflationary impacts, and the implications for cross-border traffic.
"We shall be meeting with the CSIR and other representatives of the industry as we move forward," he said, "and have given ourselves two months to complete the study and come up with the discussion document."
And this will be a joint document, according to Oliver Page of the CSIR.
"We shall be working hand-in-hand with Arup," he told FTW, "and only one final report will be produced."