RFA: N3 closures costing business millions
The Road Freight Association says frequent closures of the N3 highway are costing KwaZulu-Natal and companies millions of rands.
Two major truck crashes over the weekend brought traffic to a standstill.
The freeway at Van Reenen's Pass was shut for most of Friday.
The freight association's Gavin Kelly says as a key trade route, each closure can result in losses of between R20 million and R50 million for businesses and the local economy.
”The N3 isn't the road that's isolated on its own. It feeds lots of other roads. There are lots of commodities that go all around the country and come through and across. It's not only the link between Johannesburg and Durban; it is also the link for regional markets around there, and it's the link that goes into Africa.
"That's why that figure can be like that when trucks now suddenly are delayed. There are extra stayovers. There are extra wages, there can be extra security that comes into this. As I say, there can be penalties and, and penalties. Sometimes can be, can be quite harsh."
Kelly says solutions are needed to address the broader challenges facing the industry.
"There are many regional and local main routes that are in shocking conditions, so that needs to be looked after. And then the supporting road furniture, as we call it, infrastructure lighting, rash barriers, the markings on the road. Fair warning of steep declines, inclines. I suppose it depends from which side you're coming. That needs to actually be managed a little bit better."
ALSO READ
