RFA and government work together to promote safety

Government seems to have realised the importance of talking to the road freight industry about road safety, having for the first time invited them to join a workshop. Gavin Kelly of the Road Freight Association (RFA) welcomed the invitation from the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), saying it was a move in the right direction. “It would seem they realise that they have to include us in their communication. How else would we know what they are doing?” Collins Letsoalo, acting chief executive officer of the RTMC, earlier this year called on the trucking industry to join them in the fight to make South Africa’s roads safer. Reacting to this call Kelly said the trucking industry at large had been involved in various road safety initiatives for many years. “But the government has not really ever communicated with us, so who knows what they mean when they say come on board. We, as an industry, joined this fight many years ago and have a wide range of ongoing programmes.” He said this ranged from decreasing the number of vehicles on the roads on public holidays and religious holidays to specialist driver training. “We actively work at ensuring there are less trucks on the road during Easter and Christmas. Training programmes for drivers are an important initiative as we also train them in being able to handle different conditions.” He said road safety also made up a big part of the Driver Wellness Programme, which looked at a wide range of aspects affecting truck drivers, while vehicle fitness and maintenance programmes were also always under way.