Private sector must help fix truck-damaged roads, says minister
Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga says her department has been in discussions with the private sector to assist the government in maintaining some of the country's roads.
Chikunga addressed the media in a briefing held by the National Press Club on Friday in Midrand to mark the launch of October Transport Month.
She says the call comes as the country's roads are being damaged by trucks.
"We have also said to the private sector to assist us because some of our roads are being damaged by your trucks.
"Please adopt these roads so that you maintain them on our behalf, we remain responsible for them."
State-owned logistics company Transnet has been hit with challenges arising from its rail freight lines over the years.
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Sabotage including cable theft has seen its lines come to a stand still.
This has had a major impact on coal exports along the N2 which travel from Ermelo in Mpumalanga to Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal.
Chikunga says that coal trucks need to be removed from national roads as soon as possible.
"We have to remove the coals from road to rail so that we can preserve the N2. THe N2 today is in a bad shape thanks to those trucks," said Chikunga.
"Even though it is a national road, it was not meant for those trucks that are on the road.
I fully agree with Numsa to say that coal exports should not be on the road but on the rail. We are saying that all we have to do is to implement the national rail policy."
