Cross-border bus, truck operators to confront govt on twin agencies

Cross-border bus and truck operators are up in arms and have vowed to challenge the government’s move to have two agencies policing permit enforcement.

The bus owners, in particular, claim they received heavy fines from the agencies and were now unsure who to deal with. This comes after the introduction of the Border Management Authority to work alongside the existing Cross-Border Road Transport Agency to handle truck and bus permits.

Accidents involving trucks

The operators also accuse the government of jumping the gun by threatening to reduce roadfreight vehicles on the road by 20% to encourage the use of rail transportation for goods, and to reduce road accidents involving trucks.

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Phumudzo Mukhwathi, of African Unite Borders Bus Trucks Association, accused the government of announcing its plan to reduce road freight vehicles before fixing the rail infrastructure, which was dilapidated and looted in most cases.

“How are those goods trains going to work when there is no railway system in place?” he asked.

Mukhwathi said, as operators, they were confused by government having two authorities to police their vehicle permits.

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In addition to the Cross-Border Road Transport Agency run by the national department of transport, the home affairs department has introduced its own border management authority to duplicate the job.

‘Confusing’

Operators claim this is not only confusing but that they have to pay heavy permit fines. They add that the state has failed to deal with criminal activities that were affecting freight operators and now want to cut their income by reducing the trucks on the road.

“We are calling government stakeholders to fix rail first and buy enough/more rail goods because a failure will increase the violence we are facing right now – burning trucks (because of the) hiring of foreign trucks drivers,” said Mukhwathi.

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“The government must tell us what criteria they are using to cut road freight trucks by 20%. Will the rail goods be ferried properly with the infrastructure at the moment? Why are they duplicating transportation agencies to do the same duty of law enforcement and monitoring the movement of trucks and buses?” he asked.

He said government should give truck owners enough time to object and provide inputs on how the problem of road damage should be solved. He suggested a period of at least 90 days to avoid any violence that might erupt.