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Past Issues
August 2000
Minister of Transport, Dullah Omar addresses the IRTE on issues surrounding the transport industry. The address dealt with all matters pertaining to transport in South Africa - road, passenger, sea and air.

Progress on All Fronts

The 34th Annual General Meeting of the Johannesburg Centre was recently held in Johannesburg at the Mandevelle Club in Bez Valley with a record turnout of over 90 members and visitors, possibly due to the presence of transport minister Dullah Omar as the guest speaker.

Chairman Barney Curtis got the meeting started on a high note with a resume of some of the activities and achievement of the Johannesburg Centre, which included:

  • The progress being made towards closer relationship between the Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban Centres and the establishment of an office in Johannesburg to co-ordinate the IRTE in South Africa.

  • Until that office is established, it has been tentatively arranged that Cape Town investigate training for the road transport industry while the Johannesburg Centre concentrates on representation. The Durban Centre is busy promoting IRTE assistance to the traffic authorities on the investigation of accidents where vehicle fitness is involved.

  • The IRTE Council in London has agreed to the creation of a South African grade of membership of the Institute with annual membership fees paid locally in Rands, thus avoiding the high fees paid in Pound Sterling due to the unfavourable exchange rate. This will, in no way, affect members who are registered with London and pay their fees to London, nor the South African Centre's affiliation with London. Local members will also receive copies of the monthly UK IRTE publication Transport Engineer.

  • The merger of IRTE with the Institution of Plant Engineers has been finalised and will become effective on 1 September 2000 and will be named The Society of Operational Engineers. This will make a significant impact on the scope of the Institute as well as increasing the membership. All grades of IRTE members will retain their present IRTE designation and in addition, will gain the designation SOE.
Jack Webster, seen here with Minister Dullah Omar, handled the vote of thanks and presented the Minister with a token of appreciation.

IRTE Technical Committee

Jim Campbell, chairman of the IRTE Technical Committee, gave a resume of the activities of the technical branch of IRTE. (The previous Road Transport Operators Technical Committee has now been replaced by the ITRE Technical Committee). Items on the current agenda include:

  • Turning corridor method of the determination of manoeuvrability.
  • Vehicle/combination overall length including or excluding bull bars.
  • Agricultural tractors on public roads.
  • Sulphur content in diesel fuel.
  • Dolly on drawbar trailer.
  • Cross Border permit fees.
  • Width height ratio on small vehicles.
  • Prohibition of use of tow-way radios when driving.

It was then the turn of the Minister of Transport, Dullah Omar, to address the meeting but before commencing, the Minister said that after listening to the previous speakers, he was impressed with the good work the Institute is doing in the interest of road transport and gave his encouragement and support for the work of the IRTE.

The Minister then delivered a comprehensive and interesting address which included reference to air, marine, rail and road transport. Attention is being given to improving the safety relating to air and marine transport in line with international standards. On rail transport, the Minister mentioned more regulation control particularly in respect of safety.

Moving on to road transport, he acknowledged there are problems in the passenger transport industry which involve safety as well as operational areas at national, provincial and local levels, and require urgent attention. Overloading is still a cause of grave concern, which is aggravated by the law enforcement problem.

Barney Curtis, chairman of the Johannesburg Chapter of IRTE together with the Minister of Transport, Dullah Omar, on the occasion of the IRTE annual general meeting held in Johannesburg on Thursday 20th July 2000.

The Minister referred to the Road Traffic Management Corporation Act and the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act, both of which are in advanced stages of preparation for enactment. When introduced, these Acts will provide for a more streamlined procedure particularly in respect of legislation and the dealing with offences administratively without involving the drawn out expensive court procedures.

Although space does not permit a full report of the Minister's speech, copies of his speech area available to those who wish to obtain the full draft.

Fellow of the Institute, Jack Webster, thanked the Minister for his interesting and enlightening address, particularly for his encouraging information about the implementation of the new Road Traffic Act and Regulations and the impending introduction of the Road Traffic Management Corporation Act and the Administration Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act.

Jack also referred to the popularity of panel discussions at the Institute's monthly meetings and suggested that the Minister might be prepared to nominate a few members of his staff to form a panel for discussion on matters of interest and concern at an IRTE members' meeting. The Minister was not averse to the idea.

Jack Webster then proceeded to give a brief overview of the IRTE and viewed the recent developments to bring the Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg Centres closer together as a very positive step forward.

He also reiterated the need in South Africa for a recognised qualification for a Road Transport Engineer. Such a qualification is recognised in Britain throughout the IRTE and the Institute in South Africa should be pressing for such recognition.

"We have the people now but we must ensure continuity in the years ahead and there is no place for complacency when it comes to planning for the future," he said.

The meeting then went into the business of the AGM with Andre Asselberg presenting the financial report which revealed a sound financial position of the Johannesburg Centre.

The following were nominated and elected onto the committee for the ensuing year:

  • Barney Curtis
  • Dave King
  • Keith Pilling
  • Richard Tanner
  • Gareth King
  • Henry Goode
  • Richard Nicholson
  • Andre Cilliers
  • Jean Rakomito
  • Paul van Heerden
  • Ellis Patterson
  • Jack Webster

Maxiprest then gave a presentation on stud and spigot wheel mountings with the central message being not to mix and match.

An indication of the Institute's increasing stature in the industry is given via the fact that not only did the Minister of Transport deem it a fitting audience to address, but also via the record number of people - over 90 - being present. The interest shown by the industry in the workings of the IRTE is, without doubt, increasing and this can only bode well for the future.

The programme for the months ahead will be:

  • August : Training (By Paul Matthew)
  • September : Panel discussion on buses
  • October : Dinner Dance
  • November : Smokers evening
  • December : Not decided