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Keeping transport moving - Freight & Trading Weekly - 25 February 2000 edition -
- Freight & Trading Weekly
25 February 2000 edition
Keeping transport moving
The transport industry has many side-issues to contend with in today's business world. Allied services have become more and more essential and are growing. Security is a major concern. New regulations confront the transport service at every turn of the wheel. FTW takes a look this week at a number of these aspects.Rough road ahead for operators
New regulations must work to their benefit, says Pierides
TRANSPORT OPERATORS throughout the country face a rough road ahead during the next 12 months, and it remains to be seen if new regulations can be implemented to their benefit, says Costa Pierides, manager, technical and regulatory affairs of the Road Freight Association.
"Frankly, I view these matters as items creeping up to bite us all on the bum," he says.
Of major concern are the continuing problems being faced at border posts, with lengthy delays in the face of the implementation of the VAT laws introduced last year.
"South African Revenue Services have taken our complaints more seriously, and have appointed a man to work strictly on border problems, but the service in general is still inadequate.
"In the transport field as a whole there are all kinds of things happening out there that are of concern to the industry. The education and training sector, for instance, returns under government control in March, though the transport operators will still have to foot the bill for it. We will have to wait and see how that works out.
"We have the problems of the escalating fuel price which is having a heavy impact on operations right now, and which we can only hope will settle down in the months ahead.
"Toll roads are going to mushroom in the near future, which will provide on-costs which we can do little about. Then there is the establishment of the Road Traffic Management Corporation which is also a cause of concern.
"This is a body aimed at ensuring road traffic laws are enforced, when the points demerit system will be introduced, which can see a driver's licence suspended if he falls foul of the law too often for road traffic offences.
"The principle of this is good from our point of view, but will it be properly implemented, or will the public be faced with corrupt officialdom at work, once again? That will merely put everything back to square one.
"The system is intended to level the playing fields between road users and the law, but we have serious doubts if this will happen."
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