Road finance will speed up border post operations

Beitbridge will pilot project, writes Leonard Neill Transformation is taking place in most areas THE NATIONAL Roads Agency (NRA) has arranged through the Department of Transport to have a one kilometre stretch of road on the South African side of every border post declared 'a national road.' This, says Brian van Niekerk of the National Inter-Departmental Structure for Border Control (Nids), will have a major impact on cross border transport operations. "It may sound a small amount of roadway but it becomes a vital part of the whole operation. What now happens is that governmental funding will be available for this specific stretch at every post, and that includes the road through the post and any bridges that are involved. "Now we will have finance to build a slip road alongside the main road which will be used strictly for transport vehicles which can stop there and, if necessary, park there for any period of time needed to clear their consignments. "What happens at many posts right now, especially in places where it is the normal single track leading to or from the post, a truck will come to a halt as part of the queue and often the driver has no alternative but to sit it our for a day or two before his papers are cleared. "Now he will park on the slip road and not interfere with other traffic. He can be handled there by customs officials and even be fined by traffic authorities for any contraventions. But he will be out of the way of the general traffic. "I paid a visit to Groblersdrif in the North West Province recently and was amazed at the volume of traffic handled there. The nearby Stokpoort post was closed a year ago. Now we are building the new slip roads at both points, arranging a re-opening of Stokpoort and giving far better conditions for vehicles travelling north." Beitbridge will become the pilot post in this new operation, and plans are underway to have the post serviced with this type of roadway as quickly as possible. "But one factor to remember at all posts is that no matter what services we provide, and we can see tremendous progress as a result of our efforts over the past three years, there will always be hold-ups when the paper work is not in order, says Van Niekerk. "I know I have earned the ire of clearing agents in the past in this respect, but those who have their paperwork properly handled have no problems. It is others who are slipshod who cause the delays. "Transformation is taking place in most areas. That is something I can report happily. If you take a look at what is happening at Lanseria Airport you will see that government and the private sector are working superbly to get things going. Lanseria has a target date of October to have its reconstruction completed and I am sure it will happen. "My recent trip to the new Mpumalanga airport site at Primkop confirmed my view that everyone responsible for development is going along the right route. The airports are moving well into the new age of transportation and we want to see border posts on the landside doing as well."