Jan  2003

With the disastrous road death tally run up during the December/January holiday period still fresh in our minds and following the Transport Minister’s admission that South Africa’s traffic officers “were inadequately trained and unable to carry out much more than speed-trapping”, Dullah Omar and his Department of Transport (DoT) have their work cut out for them.

Those who took to the roads during the festive season and Arrived Alive, should count themselves lucky. Spare a thought for the neither fortunate nor festive families of the 1 362 road users dead and buried between December 1 and January 12.

With just three short years to go, the DoT faces myriad issues if the objectives set out in its Road to Safety 2001 – 2005 are to be achieved : skills training, staff shortages, effective law enforcement, fraud and corruption within its ranks, the NaTIS/AARTO quagmire and regressing road conditions. The list is endless and the task unenviable.

Industry-specific associations like the Southern African Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (SAVRALA) have long been proactive in leading the way as far as road safety and other critical road-related issues are concerned.

SAVRALA has defined standards of good practice for the passenger and light commercial vehicle rental, leasing and fleet management industries and, while the association works to promote and maintain standards of ethical trading and service among its members, its role does not stop there.

As representatives of over 100 000 users of SA’s roads, members have an obligation to partner the DoT in securing long-term and sustainable solutions to road transport and related issues across-the-board.

Skills development and training is a priority and, in October 2001, a SAVRALA-endorsed Fleet Management Certificate programme was launched in conjunction with Educor. The development of subject material for the next level, the Fleet Management Diploma, is in the pipeline.

During 2003, a dedicated SAVRALA sub-committee will continue to tackle government on unresolved issues relating to NaTIS and AARTO in an effort to steer the DoT towards a legislative outcome that is both positive and in the best long-term interests of the industry as a whole. This will inevitably generate a favourable impact on core DoT issues such as safety.

AARTO is now expected to see the light of day in September 2003 and SAVRALA urges members to take cognisance of this pending legislation and gear themselves accordingly. To assist members in this regard, SAVRALA has plans to convene an AARTO refresher workshop shortly.

Association president, John Broadway, says that other SAVRALA initiatives under consideration for 2003 include an industry-wide manufacturer data feed mechanism, a customer satisfaction survey as well as the publication of risk statistics. On the rental front, risk management remains an issue.

It’s too easy to sit back and comment on the state of Minister Omar’s portfolio. But, as he gets things right, will we be ready? Be proactive – as an individual or a company, choose to align yourself with an association relevant to your specific transport sector. And, if there isn’t one, consider that a challenge!