SA's groaning roads: 50m tons trucked in Oct

CAPE TOWN, Western Cape - Close to 50-million tons of freight ground its way along South Africa's over-worked roads in October 2014, according to the latest monthly Land Transport Survey released by Statistics SA on Monday (Dec 8 2014).

By comparison, 19.6m tons of freight was moved around the country by rail over the same period.

Among the survey's findings is that the volume of goods transported increased compared to the same period in 2013 year.

INCREASED INCOME

According to Statistics SA: "The volume of goods transported (payload) increased by 8.6% in October 2014, compared with October 2013. The corresponding income increased by 7.7% over the same period."

"Income from freight transportation increased by 9.4% in the three months ended October 2014, compared with the three months ended October 2013."

The main contributors, to this increase, Stats SA reports, were primary mining and quarrying products, and agriculture and forestry products.

On passenger transportation, which excludes minibus taxis and metropolitan buses, but includes rail travel and road passenger liners, the survey found the number of passenger journeys decreased, while income went up.

Stats SA reports: "The number of passenger journeys decreased by 1.8% in October 2014, compared with October 2013. The corresponding income increased by 13.3% over the same period."

According to a table included in the survey, 531m tons of freight was moved along the country's roads in 2013, compared to 215m tons by rail.

The amount of freight moved by road last October (49.302m tons) is the highest figure recorded over the past 22 months (from January 2013).

Click here to view the Land Transport Survey (October 2014)