Tuesday, 20 August 2002
The National Minister of Transport, Dullah Omar officially opened the Heidelberg Traffic Control Centre, at Western Section on the N3, at 10:00 on Tuesday, 20 August 2002. The Centre is the first of its kind in the Gauteng Province, which marks the realisation of Government's objective to create effective facilities that will augment the overloading control systems.
"South Africa's road network is a valuable asset, which needs to be treasured and safeguarded against neglect or damage. It is a reality that South Africa's export economy is severely hampered by the major area of production. The Gauteng Province is removed from its nearest ports, which are Durban and Maputo. This factor has a marked influence on South Africa's competitiveness on a global scale", said Minister Omar.
Omar said that about two decades ago, legislation existed, which resulted in the transportation of goods. This was not the ideal economical situation for the country. With the deregulation of freight transport in the early 1970s, road transport entered into a phase of rapid growth. One of the factors that contributed to the rapid growth is the ability of road transport to make the concept of "just in time delivery" a reality.
The road transport industry pressurised the legislators to increase the axle loads from 8.2 tons to 9.0 tons. The current legislation governing road transport is optimal for the economy, provided that sufficient funds are devoted to maintain the network properly. The condition of the road network has deteriorated, due to wear and tear caused by overloaded vehicles, which resulted in exceeding the funds allocated to maintain the roads.
Overloaded vehicles cause a high degree of damage to the road pavements due to the exponential relationship between axle load and road damage. This damage also impacts negatively on the safety of the roads. Despite the fact that overloading enforcement is being carried out by the Provinces, it is clear from statistics that many operators continue to practice a policy of deliberate overloading.
The Heidelberg Traffic Control Centre is the result of a joint effort between the Gauteng Provincial Department of Public Transport, Roads and Works and the South African National Roads Agency. Both parties contributed to the costs of constructing the centre, which was R55 million. Currently the Province is providing the required number of traffic officials in order to carry out the law enforcement duties, as required in terms of the National Road Traffic Act. "This pooling of resources towards a common aim of protecting our roads, is yet another admirable example of co-operative governance, involving the various spheres of Government", said the Minister. This project has demonstrated the need for Government Departments to consult, share information and act together to eradicate poverty and build our economy.