'Proposed travel restrictions would close the country down'

The freight road transport travel restrictions – devised in all her wisdom by minister of transport – Elizabeth Dipuo Peters, are set to ruin the industry and its clients, according to Carl Webb, MD of Project Logistics Management (PLM) and adviser on abnormal cartage to the Road Freight Association (RFA) and the SA Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff ). He suggested to FTW that “our resident genius in charge of transport” restricting heavy vehicle travel hours between 06h00-09h00 and 17h00-20h00 would effectively lose the transport industry six hours a day, or 25% of capacity. “There are already (by our own admission) too many heavy vehicles on the roads,” he added, “and this would require an effective increase in the national f leet of 25% in order to sustain the country’s requirement.” Also, the fact that these are prime travelling hours for heavy vehicles – given the normal warehouse/ industry working hours – would create even more havoc. “The Durban container terminal (DCT), for example,” Webb said, “would become back-logged within about 30 minutes of the restrictions, with vehicles having loaded but not able to depart until after either 09h00 or 20h00. Add to that the fact that Johannesburg freeways would be hit with an inf lux of 400-500 heavy vehicles in one convoy.” And it would also have a direct and adverse impact on driver work hours. Said Webb: “The pressure would be on drivers to work even longer hours than usual in order to make up the lost time, as clients would still require their deliveries on the Reef the following morning. “This would obviously increase the risk of accidents involving heavy vehicles, which is surely the opposite of what is intended.” He also noted that the actual statistics would be interesting to read. “Given that mini-bus taxis are involved in more accidents than heavy vehicles, could we expect to have their travelling hours restricted as well? “This would have the same effect as restricting heavy vehicle traffic. The country would close down within a short period of time.” Webb further hinted that discussion with the industries involved would be an idea. “As strange as it may seem, we also believe that there are too many heavy vehicles on roads. But, until there is a viable alternative, the country needs cargo to be delivered by road to sustain itself.” INSERT & CAPTION Restricting heavy vehicle travel hours would effectively lose the transport industry six hours a day, or 25% of capacity. – Carl Webb