Road transport regulators from 12 inland SADC countries have adopted a work plan designed to promote the harmonisation of regulations, standards and practices related to cross-border trade and transport issues in the region.
It’s the outcome of a two-day meeting of the Cross-Border Road Transport- Regulators Forum (CBRT-RF) held earlier this week to track progress made by the region towards harmonisation and regional integration and to review measures to mitigate the effects of Covid-19 on transport and trade on the continent.
The CBRT-RF was officially established by the SADC ministers of transport, communication and meteorology to serve as a body that would improve the cross-border road transport systems in the region by harmonising policies and reducing transportation costs, delays and transit times as well as eliminating regulatory fragmentation in the region.
This was driven by the need to ensure efficiencies in the cross-border road transport industry through the elimination of challenges that hamper trade between and among countries in the region.
These range from weakness in the regulatory framework between countries, to failure by the region to fully implement the regulatory framework, and failure by regulatory authorities to harmonise regulatory practices and requirements, standards and procedures.
The efforts of the Forum are directed towards responding to the need to resolve regulatory problems as well as the multiplicity of challenges, constraints and impediments facing cross-border road transport operators in the SADC and the Tripartite.
Member states were encouraged to play their part in making sure that the work of the forum continued, despite the devastating effects of Covid-19 on the economies of the continent.
The CBRT-RF will meet again in six months’ time to assess progress of the work plan.