By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula says that his department is working with the Department of Public Enterprises on a plan to move goods transport from roads to rail, following a tragic accident in KwaZulu-Natal last week involving a freight vehicle that claimed 20 lives.
Mbalula said that a number of solutions are being considered to expedite this plan within the next five years.
“The need to move the transport of goods from the roads and reduce the number of heavy-duty vehicles on roads has become urgent and necessary. This migration process will take at least five years as we also need to engage with the rail sector.” All cargo, he said, must be delivered by rail.
The minister also pledged to improve the condition of roads in partnership with the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral).
To ensure efficient and continued trade supply, all pieces of the logistics chain need to operate at their optimal and necessary level. This includes ports, airports, roads and rail, said Road Freight Association (RFA) CEO, Gavin Kelly.
“Any reasonable assessment of logistics chains around the world – and this is what we are talking about – shows that rail needs to play its part in the movement of certain sizes (gross tonnage) and types of cargo.
“Moving millions of tonnes of coal or ore to a harbour by truck is not sensible, and South Africa leads the way in logistics operations when the dedicated lines carrying coal from the inland mines to Richards Bay, or similarly iron ore to Saldanha were textbook and sustainable examples of main-line rail operations.
“There were, of course, many more regional rail links that supported agriculture, manufacturing, and general retail business.”
Kelly noted that passenger rail has collapsed – a system that had lines running within most metropolitan areas. Busses (of all types and sizes) must now ply routes, ensuring that employees can get to work on time. Efficiency, reliability, and security are not traits commonly associated with rail services, whether passenger or freight.
In terms of freight services on rail, Kelly said that no matter how much the industry would all like the rail system to play its rightful role in the transportation of goods across our country, “this will still take some time in ever becoming a reliable and sustainable alternative”.
He said that rail infrastructure has been neglected and destroyed, with parts looking like scenes from apocalypse movies, as is well documented, especially post theCovid pandemic. There is a myriad of challenges that face rail – and the plan to address and prevent these recurring is a vital part of any “revitalisation” of rail, said Kelly.
Realities in the freight logistics world determine how freight is moved, which modes are chosen above others and what investment will be applied to a mode, he said.
“Transportation has always been a dynamic industry – and whilst those who run businesses in the transportation industry continually compete and try to have an edge or provide the best service, it is the customer (owner of the goods) who ultimately decides on which mode is used. Those customers are businessmen and women – not romanticists.
“In the first instance, rail will need to provide the accessible, efficient, reliable, and secure service that is currently provided by other modes – and mostly so by road transport. Once rail can provide that kind of service, then the customer will use rail.”
Kelly questioned the plan in place to provide that level of service. “Where will the funding come from to rebuild/repair and run such a service? Is the plan to tax South Africans even more – or to levy and penalise the efficient road freight industry? Which routes will be chosen, as you cannot fix everything at the same time?”
The Road Freight Association, the chief executive said, has had many discussions with the Department of Transport over the last three decades, some large logistics members of the association brought in concepts of trucks being carried by trains (i.e. on rail), truck trailers being able to run on rail lines and various other systems. These all eventually came to nothing, as the rail system was unreliable.
“Minister, there are certain routes that need to be rebuilt and then run, to prove that rail can be relied upon to play its role as required. The reason for so many coal trucks running through Pongola is due to the rail system at Richards Bay having collapsed. Evidently, the loading process at the port cannot take any coal from rail at the moment. Is this true? If so, this needs to be repaired,” said Kelly.
Chris Moodley, director of freight company KZN Customs Clearing and Forwarding, said the government’s plan to move freight from road to rail would undoubtedly affect the trucking business.
“It is very concerning as there are thousands of truck drivers and they will all be impacted. From my side I can’t see how this will be possible as rail infrastructure has also not been rebuilt or repaired and reconstructed for this type of transition.
“We also have to bear in mind that our rail infrastructure is at the mercy of vandals, and that speaks for itself.
“What was once a key infrastructure for our transport industry is now nothing but a memory, there simply aren’t enough police to manage the situation.
Where were they when the railway offices and stations were looted and even the kitchen sinks were stolen?”
Moodley said that as much as the minister of transport talked about the high number of truck accidents, more attention should be paid to what types of trucks were involved in the crashes.
He claimed that the majority were caused by trucks with side tippers which are used in the transport of coal.