Road transport self regulation gains momentum

The concept of selfregulation in the region is gaining momentum with official registration of the Road Transport Management System under way. Directors have been identified and the CSIR will provide an intern to act as the secretariat for RTMS and the Smart Trucks programme, executive director of the Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations, Barney Curtis, told FTW following an RTMS National Steering Committee meeting. “The existing Recommended Practices (ARPs) are being converted into South African standards and once the SABS has finalised the process, the auditors will manage them. The Standards will then be referred to in the Road Traffic Act and Regulations and will become law,” said Curtis. A sub-committee of six people has also been formed to come up with a new name. Fesarta has recommended to TradeMark Southern Africa that the pilot on self-regulation on the North-South Corridor be included in its work plan on trade facilitation measures. It would also like to see the system in place on the Northern and other corridors. Demonstrating its positive impact, since inception of RTMS, overloading has been reduced from around 36% to around 6% in the sugar industry, said Curtis. CAPTION Barney Curtis ... positive impact.