SOUTH AFRICAN authorities have impounded 80 container trucks as a ban on vehicles carrying international standard high-cube containers to prevent bridge collisions, reports Johannesburg's "Business Report" newspaper.
High cube containers carry 50 per cent of the road freight in South Africa, according to the national "Road Freight Association" (RFA).
Arlindo da Silva, the owner of Casa Italia furniture store in Pretoria, said he imports goods from China in high-cube containers and four were stuck in the Port of Durban.
"Durban is totally congested and no one can get their containers out," said Mr da Silva. "We're in the peak season and we need goods for the Christmas season, but our containers are retained and we have to pay excess duty."
But Transport Department road traffic official John Motsatsing said the height restriction was based on the height of bridges to ensure trucks do not pose a hazard to other road users.
What the industry needs to do, he said, is approach the government with proposals, indicating how long it would take to convert truck trailers to low-bed trailers to reduce the risk of bridge collisions.
Low-slung transporters would then be assigned routes by the Transport Department to ensure no bridge collisions would occur, he said.
"But if the industry just keeps quiet and says there is no way they can change the trailers to comply, then we are also not able to do anything," said Mr Motsatsing.
The South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) have requested a moratorium on the impounding of trucks carrying high cube containers "as a matter of urgency".
Both the SAAFF and the South Africa's Road Freight Association (RFA) say legal truck trailers "for all intents and purposes" do not exist in South Africa.
Meanwhile, high-cube containers are being delayed at Durban, running up port demurrage charges between ZAR1,000 (US$133) and ZAR2,000 a day, the Johannesburg newspaper said.
Transport operators are refusing to haul high-cube because they fear being fined and having their trucks seized.
The South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) has asked for government moratorium on impounding of trucks "as a matter of urgency".
SAAFF harbour truck division vice chairman Kevin Martin said it would "constitute a logistical and financial disaster of biblical proportions for South Africa to suddenly have more than 50 per cent of these containers standing because local road hauliers could not legally move them".
Mr Martin said 65 per cent of every rand earned for South Africa came from the trade and the container terminal in Durban was the largest in the southern hemisphere, accounting for more than 65 per cent of all container traffic.
SAAFF has been pressing the government to change the legislation for more than five years, he said.
Source : HKSG, 15.12.09
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