Over-border truckers warned to carry permits or face hefty fines

South African truckers have been warned not to travel without their cross-border permits as they could face hefty fines. According to the Cross Border Road Transport Agency (CBRTA), trucks dispatched to the border ahead of a permit being issued could be fined as the permit has to be in the truck at all times. “According to the legislation, anyone with the intent of crossing the border must be in possession of these permits,” said CBRTA CEO Sipho Khumalo. “That means operators cannot dispatch their trucks to the border and then send the permit with a car once it has been issued later to catch up with the truck. That is against the law.” He called on operators to ensure they had the necessary documentation and permits ahead of trips across the country’s borders. Road hauliers present at the fourth Cross Border Forum in Pretoria last week told CBRTA officials that the permits often just led to problems. “The permits do not do anything for us except cause us headaches,” said one operator. “They are forever being confiscated in the neighbouring countries resulting in us having to fork out money to get them back.” Operators said this was a frequent scenario not just in countries such as Zimbabwe and Zambia but also in Pretoria where trucks were stopped and drivers ordered to pay “spot fines”. If they are unable to pay the fine immediately, the permit is confiscated. The CBRTA advised operators to inform them of any corrupt activities as this was the only way to address corruption and bribery. “We cannot fix problems that we do not know about,” said Khumalo. “We experienced a similar problem in the Tete region in Mozambique where we engaged with authorities and it has resulted in the problem being addressed. We can do the same with the other countries where this is being experienced.” He said in South Africa no local operator could be forced to pay a fine to the law official who had stopped him. “You are issued with a fine or a notice that you then have to pay within a certain amount of time. You never have to pay out money to the official and we call on anyone who has found themselves in this position to let us know so we can address the official immediately.” He said only foreign operators in South Africa were required to make immediate payments but these were then made at the nearest police station and not to the law official.