Development of a vehicle load control strategy for Malawi for the period 2016 to 2020

In an effort to improve the effectiveness of overload control the Malawi Directorate of Road Transport and Safety Services (DRTSS) appointed two Short Term Experts from the CSIR to assist with the updating of the DRTSS?s 2005 Axle Load Control Strategy and development of a five-year implementation plan for significantly improving the Directorate?s current capacity to effectively manage and enforce axle load control. Specific objectives were to: ? Assist the DRTSS to undertake an extensive nationwide survey to assess the extent of the overloading problem on the paved road network; ? Review and update the 2005 ?Vehicle Weights and Axle Load Control Strategy?, based on the outcome of this survey; ? Produce a Five-year Implementation (Business) Plan that will provide a ?roadmap? for the expansion of the current overload control system; ? Strengthen the overall management and monitoring of axle load control operations through the introduction of adequate monitoring and reporting; and ? Ensure that the underlying legislation adequately supports axle load control operations. The output of the project was a Vehicle Load Control (VLC) Strategy for Malawi for the period 2016 to 2020. The VLC strategy presents the strategic direction that the DRTSS will take for the next five years with regards its vehicle load control mandate. The VLC Strategy will form the basis for the planning and execution of vehicle load control infrastructure and operations. This paper covers the process followed in developing the strategy; the situational analysis undertaken prior to the development of the strategy; and the steps followed in the development of the strategy. The paper then presents the strategic outcomes, outcome targets and outputs that have to be implemented and achieved in terms of this strategy.Paper presented at the 35th Annual Southern African Transport Conference 4-7 July 2016 "Transport ? a catalyst for socio-economic growth and development opportunities to improve quality of life", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa.The Minister of Transport, South AfricaTransportation Research Board of the US

Baseline axle load survey in Malawi - 2014

As part of the project to update the Malawian Directorate of Road Transport and Safety Services? (DRTSS) 2005 Axle Load Control Strategy and to provide a five-year implementation plan, a country-wide axle load survey was undertaken to assess the incidence of overloading on the paved road network in Malawi. The baseline axle load survey was undertaken by staff members from the DRTSS after attending a two-day training course on overload control and the operation of the portable scales that were used for the survey. Heavy vehicles were weighed at 17 sites in two phases. 2 691 heavy vehicles were weighed on 68 weigh days at an average of 39 heavy vehicles per day. Of the 2 691 vehicles weighed, 1 356 were overloaded, which represents an extent of overloading of 50.4%. The average overloaded mass on the 1 356 overloaded vehicles was 4 264 kg, representing an average degree of overloading of 26.1%. Weigh data from 4 of the 5 permanent weighbridges in Malawi were also analysed to compare the extent and degree of overloading measured at the permanent weighbridges with what was measured during the axle load survey. This analysis showed that the average extent of overloading measured at the fixed weighbridges was 3.1% and the average degree of overloading 5%.Paper presented at the 34th Annual Southern African Transport Conference 6-9 July 2015 "Working Together to Deliver - Sakha Sonke", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa.The Minister of Transport, South AfricaTransportation Research Board of the US

A performance-based standards regime to regulate car-carriers in South Africa

Until recently, South African car-carriers operated under the abnormal load permit system allowing an additional 300 mm height and 500 mm length. Because car-carrier payloads are divisible and abnormal load permits are usually granted for indivisible loads, these permits were granted only as a special concession to the car-carrier industry. This practice is being phased out due to concerns over the stability of the over-height vehicles and a number of incidents of non-compliance by some car-carrier operators. The Abnormal Loads Technical Committee has stipulated two requirements should operators wish to operate car-carriers in excess of legislated dimensional limits. Firstly, the operator must be RTMS-certified (RTMS is the Road Transport Management System, a voluntary accreditation scheme addressing overloading, vehicle maintenance, driver training etc.); and secondly, the car-carrier should be shown to comply with the Performance-Based Standards (PBS) scheme. The PBS scheme is a detailed set of safety standards which regulate vehicle performance (such as vehicle rollover tendency) when conducting prescribed manoeuvres. A number of PBS demonstration projects are currently running in South Africa. This paper outlines the progress to date in developing and implementing PBS-compliant car-carrier designs, the regulatory challenges encountered, and the envisaged regulatory future for car-carriers in South Africa.Paper presented at the 32nd Annual Southern African Transport Conference 8-11 July 2013 "Transport and Sustainable Infrastructure", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa.Minister of Transport, South Africatm201

The road transport management system (RTMS): a selfregualtion initiative in heavy vehicle transport in South Africa

Paper presented at the 26th Annual Southern African Transport Conference 9 - 12 July 2007 "The challenges of implementing policy?", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa. ABSTRACT:Heavy vehicle overloading and road safety continue to be major problems on South African roads despite efforts at more effective enforcement by the road and traffic authorities. Overloading causes premature road deterioration and, together with inadequate vehicle maintenance, driver fatigue and poor driver health, contributes significantly to South Africa’s poor road safety record. This paper describes the most recent developments of an initiative to introduce meaningful self-regulation in the heavy vehicle transport industry through a Road Transport Management System (RTMS) with the aim of contributing to the road authorities’ efforts to address the above problems. During 2003 a heavy vehicle accreditation scheme was developed and implemented in the forestry industry in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga. Based on an Australian model, the scheme seeks to promote compliance with standards in the areas of load control and securement, vehicle maintenance and driver wellness. In line with the Department of Transport’s National Overload Control Strategy, its aim is to encourage heavy vehicle operators, consignees and consignors to take more responsibility for ensuring that their loads are transported legally. Although the pilot project was initiated in forestry, the project has been executed keeping the broader heavy vehicle transport industry in mind. The success of the project in forestry resulted in similar initiatives commencing in other industries including pulp, paper and board, bitumen, coal, sugar and aggregate and sand. A national steering committee was established to co-ordinate the various initiatives and a strategy document developed. As part of this strategy, Standards SA of the SABS was approached to develop national standards for transport operators, consignors and consignees using the documentation developed for the forestry industry as a starting point. This process has commenced with the constituting of STANSA TC181B: Road Transport Management Systems. Although this is essentially a private sector initiative, since the commencement of the project in forestry, there has been strong support and involvement from government, including the national Department of Transport, the SA National Roads Agency, various provincial road authorities and the Department of Trade and Industry.This paper was transferred from the original CD ROM created for this conference. The material on the CD ROM was published using Adobe Acrobat technology. The original CD ROM was produced by Document Transformation Technologies Postal Address: PO Box 560 Irene 0062 South Africa. Tel.: +27 12 667 2074 Fax: +27 12 667 2766 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.doctech.co.z

Abnormal loads super routes – a strategic investment for promoting South Africa's economic growth

Paper presented at the 21st Annual South African Transport Conference 15 - 18 July 2002 "Towards building capacity and accelerating delivery", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa.This paper was transferred from the original CD ROM created for this conference. The material on the CD ROM was published using Adobe Acrobat technology. The original CD ROM was produced by Document Transformation Technologies Postal Address: PO Box 560 Irene 0062 South Africa. Tel.: +27 12 667 2074 Fax: +27 12 667 2766 E-mail: [email protected] URL: http://www.doctech.co.z

Improving heavy vehicle safety and road transport efficiency: a Performance-Based Standards approach in South Africa

part of a performance-based standards (PBS) research programme for heavy vehicles in South Africa, a need"br" was identified to design and operate a number of PBS demonstration vehicles in a pilot project. The purpose of"br" the project is to gain practical experience in the PBS approach and to quantify and evaluate the potential"br" infrastructure preservation, safety and productivity benefits for road freight transport. To date, 450 permits for"br" PBS demonstration vehicles (including 200 car-carriers) have been issued. The pilot project reached the minimum"br" target of 100 million PBS vehicle kilometres in June 2017. The project has shown significant improvements with"br" a reduction in the crash rate of 39% compared with the baseline fleet. Significant financial savings have also been"br" recorded with a weighted average reduction in trips of 28% and an average reduction of 12.2% in fuel consumption"br" and CO2 emissions. The project has thus far shown the possibility to improve heavy vehicle safety and decrease"br" road freight transport costs by several percentage points. This paper provides an overview of the PBS pilot project"br" including measured benefits based on the monitoring data