'Punished' for doing a good job

Policy statements to shift
freight from road to rail have
found their way into the draft
National Freight Logistics
Strategy and Green Transport
Strategy and artificial measures
to make road freight less
attractive and more expensive
are on the cards, says CEO of
the Road Freight Association,
Sharmini Naidoo.’
“Penalising an industry
that adds so much value is
quite an injustice. It has taken
many years for the industry
to fine-tune its processes, not
to mention investment in the
latest technology to deliver
slick and efficient services to
customers.”
The trucking sector operates
in an environment of extreme
uncertainty and is under more
pressure than ever before,” says
Naidoo.
“Truck bans, the
re-introduction of the permit
system, congestion taxes,
emission taxes linked to
licensing renewals, carbon
taxes on fuel, rising costs,
and uncertainty about our
wage agreement – this is the
reality being experienced in
the trucking industry,” says
Naidoo.
The road freight industry
contributes roughly 7-8% to
GDP in deliveries by operators
transporting for gain,
financing from banks and fuel
purchases – all amounting to a
staggering R130 billion.
In 2015 trucks moved
1450 million tons of bulk
commodities of which at least
20 million were due to a lack
of rail services.
Naidoo says despite the
relevance and contribution of
the industry roadfreight is not
being acknowledged in South
Africa.
“Instead steps are being
taken to move the
trucks off the
road.