Question NW1454 to the Minister of Transport
31 May 2018 - NW1454
De Freitas, Mr MS to ask the Minister of Transport
(a) What engagements, consultations and interactions are planned to avert the crisis with international trade when the moratorium on high cube containers takes effect and (b) why have engagements, consultations and interactions not taken place to date?
Reply:
a) On the 20th of September 2011, the then Minister of Transport published a Notice in Government Gazette No. 34621 exempting the transportation of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Containers on the public roads for a period of seven years. This grace period to the industry was meant to give them to lead time to configure their trailers and the necessary infrastructural modification to be able to transport the containers. There will be no crisis as most of the operators within the sector have complied with the prescribed regulation. In terms of regulation 224 of the National Road Traffic regulations, 2000, no person shall operate on a public road a motor vehicle together with the load exceeding four comma three metres.
b) The reprieve of seven years was after the engagement with the industry of lead time required for them to conform to the legislation. It must be noted, that my Department did not introduce any changes to the current legislation and is thus just ensuring that everyone complies with the law.