RFA’s anti-axle mass reduction petition gains momentum

More than 250 people have
signed the Road Freight
Association’s (RFA)
online petition against the
Department of Transport’s
proposed reduction in rear
axle mass loads (See page 1).
The RFA called
on organisations and
individuals to sign the
petition in an effort to gain
as much support against
the DoT, which towards the
end of 2009 indicated its
intention to reduce single
rear axle mass loads from
9000kg to 8000kg while
also wanting to prohibit
the movement of certain
goods on the secondary
road network.
While the DoT has
remained silent following
its initial communication to
the RFA about what it has
dubbed the Road Freight
Strategy, a project that is
aimed at addressing the
deteriorating road network
by reducing rear axle mass
loads, reducing loads on
the secondary road network
and revitalising rail in the
country, the RFA has been
lobbying for support not just
from transporters and freight
forwarders in South Africa
but also their counterparts in
neighbouring countries.
“Without trucks, South
Africa stops,” says the RFA’s
Gavin Kelly.
He said the petition, which
can be found online on
the RFA’s website, will be
included in its motivation
against the proposed
reduction in rear axle mass
loads. He said they would
also like to include figures
on the financial impact of
the proposal on operators
and have called on their
members and all other
role-players to provide
annual figures in rands on
the cost to their business of
reduced loads.