Roadfreight industry to workshop cross-border issues and solutions

The roadfreight industry will tackle some of the real cross-border transport issues in southern and East Africa at the Africa Road Transport Forum to be held in Johannesburg later this year. The inaugural event last year – the 2012 Truckers’ Forum – identified several issues and solutions, says organiser Barney Curtis, executive director of the Federation of East and Southern African Road Transport Associations (Fesarta). “We will be using this forum to communicate the outcomes and the progress that has been made as well as indicate what has been implemented and how it is working,” Curtis told FTW. “As a result of this forum Fesarta has a better and closer working relationship with the Tripartite alliance that includes Comesa, EAC and SADC. We have managed to address complaints such as the dimensional restrictions that were imposed in Botswana and the 40km-per-hour limit in the DRC, while problems around the weighbridges at Victoria Falls have also been sorted out.” He said the 2013 forum would follow the same concept as the Truckers’ Forum, allowing the industry the opportunity to voice its concerns. “It really is more of a workshop and allows for active participation where the road transport industry becomes part of the solution, “ said Curtis. “Having like-minded people set on finding solutions to common problems under one roof is not only convenient, but also a highly effective way of addressing the problems in the road transport industry.” Curtis said the forum was scheduled for April 9-10 this year and speakers included the South African Minister of Transport, Ben Martins, Joao Caholo, deputy executive secretary of SADC, and Amos Marawa, director of the Tripartite Project Preparation and Implementation Unit. He said issues up for discussion included the standardisation of load limits and overloading control, the reduction of delays and cost implications at border posts, the monitoring and elimination of non-tariff barriers, including arbitrary and excessive charges, hijacking and corruption. Selfregulation and road safety are two more topics on the agenda. CAPTION Standardisation of load limits and overloading control on the agenda of next Africa Road Transport Forum.