Road ‘excluded’ from freight agenda

Road was seemingly ignored by the Department of Transport after a broad stakeholder workshop in 2010 established three freight task teams to discuss and establish a freight agenda for the country. Deputy Minister of Transport, Jeremy Cronin, admitted to the road freight industry at its indaba in Botswana recently that he could give no reason why a road task team had not been set up. Just three teams – for rail, aviation, ports and maritime – were established. “What I can say is that this oversight will be addressed and a road task team will be set up as soon as possible.” According to George Mahlalela, director-general for the DoT, the three task teams were established following a broader stakeholder workshop that was convened in 2010. “At the meeting consensus was reached to establish modal task teams to deliberate issues around the movement of freight in the country, including the setting up of a new agenda for the freight sector taking into consideration the progress or lack thereof since the adoption of the national freight logistics strategy.” He also could not give a reason why road had not been included as a task team.