Shortage of truck stops hikes thefts, hijackings

Unsecured parking for trucks
accounts for at least 57%
of truck theft incidents in
Europe, Middle East and
Africa, leading to calls for
more secure parking locations
for trucks and their drivers.
In
Brussels the
Transported
Asset
Protection
Association
(Tapa) recently
called on the
European
Commission to
prioritise plans
to increase
the number
of secure
parking areas
for trucks – a
move that
has been welcomed in South
Africa.
Gavin Kelly, a spokesman
for the Road Freight
Association (RFA), told FTW
that the non-availability of
secure, decent and accessible
truck parking was a major
issue locally.
“This was one of the points
raised when the minister
of transport wanted to ban
trucks on the
roads over
specific hours,”
he said. “There
is not much
available. Go
to any depot
or distribution
centre (DC)
and you will
see lots of
trucks parked
outside on
vacant plots of
land or down
roads due to
insufficient
parking within these
facilities.”
Travelling on highways and
national routes is very similar.
According to Kelly the
stop utilised by transporters
is often determined by the
contracts they have or the
arrangements with their
specific fuel providers.
But the fact remains that
truck stops in South Africa
– and across the border into
other African countries –
currently are few and far
between.
“Good facilities are even
harder to find. Generally they
are run by fuel companies
(with some exceptions) and
thus cater for a dedicated
customer target,” said Kelly.
“There have been many
reports of theft and other
issues where trucks are
destroyed or cargo is stolen.
Hijacking has also played
a role. Also drivers cannot
really get a good sleep in
their vehicles due to the
continual noise and live
entertainment.”
Tapa has prioritised Africa
as one of the regions where
more secure truck parkings
must be created.
Data reported to Tapa’s
Incident Information Service
(IIS) showed that over 86%
of all recorded cargo crimes
in 2015 involved trucks.
The association captured
intelligence on 807 cases of
theft from vehicles alone,
representing 53.3% of all
crimes in the Emea region,
as well as 205 incidents
involving theft of vehicle, 145
theft from trailer crimes, 81
truck thefts and 61 cases of
theft of trailer. The majority
of the 60 hijackings reported
to Tapa last year also
involved attacks on trucks
and drivers.
INSERT & CAPTION
There have been
many reports of theft
and other issues
where trucks are
destroyed or cargo is
stolen.
– Gavin Kelly
CAPTION
Truck stops are generally run by fuel companies
and cater for a dedicated customer target.