EDITOR – It would seem that every other day the road between Johannesburg and Durban is blocked by another truck accident. In fact, road freight has to be the fastest growing industry in this country, because, compared to 40 years ago, South Africa’s highways are now choked with huge trucks. I can only imagine what damage these behemoths are doing to the roads, and I know for a fact that they contribute to a significant amount of road deaths each year.
It has often been said that the proliferation of heavy duty trucks on our national roads is the result of the failure of the railway services in this country to offer a viable alternative to the logistics of transporting goods from one major city to another. Or perhaps railway transport is now considered too slow and unwieldy in the fast-paced world of today compared to road trucking. But, of course, the main problem is that freighting goods by rail does not offer the door-to-door service which trucks can.
With this in mind, I have come up with what is either a brilliant solution or a crazy idea. You be the judge. If door-to-door is the main advantage of road freight, then why not combine the two services? After all, with the cost of fuel rising constantly, trucking must be becoming awfully expensive.
So here’s my idea: Transnet should offer flatbed railway cars onto which freight trucks can be driven and transported form one city to the next. For example, a truck picks up a load at the Durban Harbour, proceeds to the nearest railway station where it is driven onto a flatbed railway car. There it remains until the train reaches Johannesburg station, where the truck drives off and takes the load it is carrying to its destination. In other words, the trucks serve to deliver freight from door-to-door, and the trains provide the long haul service. Two problems solved very effectively.
This would not only save our main roads from the onslaught of many thousands of vehicles every day, but would also cut down the cost of long distance freight services, and probably save many lives.
Oh, and just in case you’re wondering; the drivers of the trucks can either stay in their cabins, which are normally well appointed for overnight rests, or Transnet can supply a couple of railway carriages for the drivers to travel in. What do you think?
Don Clarke
Howick
