Chikunga: Rail-friendly cargo on SA roads places serious fiscal burden on govt

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga said the transportation of rail-friendly cargo by road has had a devastating impact on the economy.

Chikunga gave an update on the government’s efforts to revive the country’s rail networks at the launch of October Transport Month in Johannesburg on Friday.

She assured South Africans that her department remained committed to ensuring there were fewer trucks with heavy cargo on the road.

“Cargo that must be on our roads is supposed to be road-friendly cargo, and not rail-friendly cargo. We therefore think that road freight movement places a serious fiscal burden on government.”

Chikunga also raised concern over the high number of car crash fatalities in the country.

The Transport Minister said while she has implemented several road safety campaigns, car accidents remain alarming.

“The story of South Africa is a painful one, it goes like this. It’s a young boy from university, he is lucky to get employment buys a car, goes to a party on Friday evening, they drink, and in the early hours of the morning they drive from wherever they were drinking hoping to arrive home. But they never do, and they die.”

-EWN

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