March deadline set for legislation governing transit vehicles

CLIVE EMDON ROAD FREIGHT hauliers are keenly awaiting new rules to compel the importers of used or ‘grey’ cars or trucks from the Far East intended for African states to freight them across South African borders instead of driving them in South Africa without registration or controls as they transit this country. Aileen Ryan, marketing manager for the Celtic Group, outlined to FTW last week a series of tax, traffic, safety and insurance infractions that these grey vehicles commit that are ignored by the authorities and affect freight companies and the general motoring public. Ryan reported that the KwaZulu Department of Transport was in the process of setting rules. While these have been supported and countered by applications to the High Court, the Supreme Court of Appeals in Bloemfontein will adjudicate on the issues on March 13. Celtic Freight, based in Isando, Johannesburg, has confirmed that it has positioned low bed trailer machinery for moving trucks from outside the gates of the bonded depot in the Durban port terminal from which cars are released, in its readiness to take on the first customers. The company claims up to 7 000 cars a month are routed through our ports and travel through the country without support of adequate legislation. Ryan said freight companies had campaigned on the issues affecting the imports. Representations have been made to Sars, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Motor Transport Services Directorate in KwaZulu Natal and the Road Freight Association, among others.