‘Shippers need reasonable notice of Spoornet tariff adjustments’

I refer to the article ‘Rail operators condemn lack of consultation over rate hike’ (FTW May 26, 2005). Crof expressing their displeasure at the Spoornet announcement is one thing. What we believe they should be doing is telling Spoornet that it is not an acceptable business practice to expect clients to give them instructions to rail containers/cargo on the basis that the customer will only know at what cost the movement will take place when it is too late to stop the move. Whilst Spoornet may argue that the increase is very small, it can add up very quickly when applied to large volumes, and besides, it is the principle of the matter that needs to be considered. The rampant fuel price is affecting all businesses but we don’t find private enterprises imposing fuel surcharges “without reasonable notice” to their clients! We also cannot recover this increase/surcharge from our clients overseas who have paid us up to a month ago for the railage when they loaded their cargo on through bills to Johannesburg. We are not suggesting that Spoornet should not recover the additional cost of fuel, but that they should deal with it as a business risk like everyone else and give their clients reasonable notice of their tariff adjustments for whatever reason. Paul Scannell.