THE DEFINITIVE TRUCKING SITE

Nov/Dec 2008

In an earlier edition this year, FleetWatch challenged the N3TC to look at upgrading the lay-bye facilities along the route so as to provide drivers with safe parking areas to stop and rest. In an article titled ‘Lessons from a Near Miss’, we expressed our concern at the lack of safe parking along the route and highlighted facilities in Europe as examples of what can be done to improve the situation. Here is the response from Con Roux, commercial manager of the N3TC, to that challenge. 

N3 Toll Concession (N3TC) appreciates the opportunity to respond to your article, Lessons from a Near Miss. 

The article triggered an interesting debate within N3TC and suffice to say that the company is extremely concerned about the situation of illegal parking along the N3, the capacity of truck stops, as well as the continuous growth in heavy vehicle traffic along the route, which could further aggravate the situation. 

At present, there are 24 truck stops at various points along the N3 with one currently under construction at the Vaaldraai interchange. We estimate that there is a potential shortage of over 1 000 parking spaces along the route, with the greatest shortage or need being along the Free State section of the N3 Toll Route.

What is equally concerning, however, is that many of these truck stops are not filled to capacity on any given night. It is common knowledge that many drivers opt to rather park illegally in dangerous areas, as captured in the photographs accompanying your article, to rest as opposed to stopping at a truck stop and paying for the convenience. This begs yet another question. Are drivers provided with the financial means to make use of truck stops along the route? 

The country’s crime statistics speak volumes and law enforcement authorities continue to warn hauliers to take measures to curb theft from - and hijacking of - their vehicles. It is essential, therefore, that the security and safety of the drivers and their vehicles is not compromised. 

Due to the nature of the costs to provide security, lighting and ablution facilities at lay-byes, N3TC is not in a position to provide laybyes along the route. A further risk of establishing lay-byes is the potential to ‘overload’ the capacity of the laybyes and then impact on the safety of other N3 Toll Route customers. 

European facilities are very similar in nature and structure to South Africa’s DASCs but slightly smaller in size, with less distance separating them. These facilities are also fully serviced with a concrete road surface, which is expensive in South African terms. In addition, the geometric standards for access and layout in the European countries are less stringent than on South Africa’s national roads. In addition, some European countries ban trucks during certain times of the day, which is a luxury South Africa cannot afford. 

This being said, N3TC has, in the past, tried to accommodate the need for drivers to rest by implementing lay-byes and other rest areas in safe locations along the route. A specific case was that of the extended laybyes provided on either side of the Wilge Toll Plaza a number of years ago. 

This facility was subject to vandalism and posed a risk to N3 motorists and toll plaza staff. Security guards are now in place to prevent vehicles from stopping in toll plaza areas. In other cases where extended lay-byes were instituted, the law enforcement authorities have requested N3TC to erect ‘No Parking’ signs to prevent vehicles from stopping for extended periods in these areas. 

While recognising that truck stops are essential for the logistics industry, N3TC is unfortunately not in a position to carry the costs to establish a DASC facility including truck stop facilities, which cost between R50-million and R70-million. 

This type of facility needs to be of specific standards, including safety, hygiene and catering, that will encourage drivers to make use of the facilities - which further contributes to the costs. At the same time, access to prostitution, alcohol and illegal substances needs to be prohibited, which means that efficient security systems and personnel need to be in place to uphold the law and maintain a standard of safety and peace of mind for the drivers and fleet owners. 

N3TC sees truck stops as providing an essential and convenient service to our customers and therefore have a vested interest in making sure that we can work together with our customers and related stakeholders to address the issue.

We invite FleetWatch, the Road Freight Association and the haulier companies that regularly make use of the road, to partner with us to resolve the situation and determine a mutually beneficial solution. 

One possible solution is in the form of establishing a PPP (Private Public Partnership) between N3TC, SANRAL/ Department of Transport and the transport companies to construct and establish truck stops at crucial points along the N3 Toll Route, as defined by the need of the broader haulier industry.

An administrative solution or recommendation would be for existing truck stops to operate along the same lines as accommodation venues. In other words, truck stops should be able to establish a comprehensive booking system that will allow the hauliers to book their drivers/trucks into a specific truck stop on a specific day with an estimated time of arrival, coupled with a secure pre- or post-paid billing system. This will allow the transport companies and truck stop operations to implement control measures that will have a positive impact on their businesses. 

This system should provide the haulier companies with the peace of mind that their drivers are not, in fact, driving between 23h00 and 04h00 and that they make use of legal and safe areas that will ensure the safety of their drivers and the load. At the same time, truck stop operators will be able to manage their facilities more effectively and budget appropriately.

N3TC looks forward to hearing from our partners in the industry.

OK, so it’s not going to come solely from the N3TC but encouraging is that there is an acknowledgement by the N3TC of the problem and a willingness to co-operate with their ‘partners’ in finding solutions. FleetWatch is going to take this further and we invite interested parties who will be willing to attend a meeting with a view to forming a Private Public Partnership as proposed by the N3TC to submit their names to the Editor of FleetWatch. We will then try get all relevant parties together in the new year to discuss the subject and try find solutions. Email your name and company to fleetwatch@pixie.co.za.

In line with this, worthy of note is the fact that at the beginning of September, at a meeting held in Harrismith, Zimele Investment Enterprise Company (Pty) Ltd facilitated the establishment of a Truck Stop Association for the N3. A large diversity of reasons for co-operation between truck stop owners through an organised structure such as a Truck Stop Association were tabled and accepted by the meeting. The following strategic initiatives were raised: 

• Self regulation of the industry prior to governmental regulation.

• Co-operation on issues of common interest.

• Co-operation with the N3TC on issues impacting on the road, obstacles, incidents, accidents, hi-jacking.

• Linking of accident information to LED signboards situated at Truck Stops. 

• Linking of Durban Harbour with signboards situated at Truck Stops.

• Signs and signboards, advertising and branding issues. 

• Electronic payment methodology.

• System for “Booking for parking/space available”. 

• Linking Truck Stops to IMS. 

• General blacklisting of non paying clients.

• Star grading system for existing and future facilities.

• One common database with regular updates on expansions/additions at truck stops.

• Early warning system for fraudulent activities.

• Training and OSH Act issues.

The outcome of the meeting was as follows:

• Everyone was in agreement that the N3 Truck Stop Association must be established. 

• A chairperson was appointed – the first Chairperson is Albertus Deyssel (assisted by Frik Neetling) of Highway Junction.

• Decisions were made on a constitution to be adopted.

• A work committee was appointed that needs to have the basic vision, mission, goals, time schedules and responsibilities sorted out for report back to the larger forum. 

• The first working committee will comprise of Albertus Deyssel, Frik Neetling, Johan Mare, Fred Kleynhans and Gideon Cloete. 

• Appointment of a permanent person to run the affairs of the association was approved. 

The Association says that improved co-operation and communication will lead to improved utilization and professionalism in the industry. Also, improved communication with N3TC and the Harbour will lead to trucks being advised timeously of incidents and accidents which will delay their delivery. They can then remain in the Truck Stops until the road has cleared and thereby reduce the risk and exposure to potential accidents.

FleetWatch welcomes this move as a major achievement towards improvement of the truck stop situation on the N3. Anyone with any suggestions of issues or matters that should be considered by this new association can forward these to Fred Kleynhans, CEO of Zimele Investment Enterprise Company. His email address is fredk@n3tc.co.za.