The Nepad Business Foundation (NBF) has once again underscored the critical importance of a modal shift from road to rail on the NorthSouth Corridor (NSC) – a shift that would ironically ultimately benefit road transporters.
Programme manager for infrastructure at the NBF, Kudzanayi Bangure, told FTW that the balance of freight moved through countries like Zimbabwe, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, remained heavily skewed in favour of road transport. “Seventy to 80% of bulk cargo up north is freighted by road, posing a major challenge to countries that are investing significantly in maintaining infrastructure.” It was one of the reasons, he said, why the NSC project was so important to endorsing organisations like the African Union and the SADC Secretariat.
Exceeding capacity in northern NSC countries, Bangure stressed, had, among other things, led to huge road convoys as border backups and other congestion problems were not cleared up soon enough.
“We need an adequate balance between road and rail in the SADC region if we want to improve freight along this corridor. The sight of huge road convoys on the NSC Corridor and border bottlenecks are clear signs that the road infrastructure cannot cope.
“We’re not talking about moving the lion’s share of freight off certain roads. But it makes perfect sense, for reasons of public safety and curbing environmentally hazardous emissions, for freight commodities like cobalt, zinc, and sulphuric acid to move via rail.”
Bangure said although the NSC was just one of the Pida Projects (Programme for Infrastructure and Development in Africa) that had been identified by the AU as crucial to improve inter-continental trade, it was a flagship initiative of the NBF. And while the NSC’s ultimate goal of a “seamless service” across the region is far off, major strides have been made in ironing out impediments. One of these is drastically cutting back on delays related to servicing rolling stock and turnaround times.
Bangure indicated that much of the work that was currently being done along the “ just under 4000km long corridor”, was “identifying the most important areas requiring immediate rehabilitation and upgrades”.
Some of these, he pointed out, were rail track infrastructure, signalling and telecommunications. Making headway along the railway through corridor countries, Bangure argued, was of utmost importance for sustaining the road infrastructure of countries battling with over-subscription in this transport sector.
Seventy to 80% of bulk cargo up north is freighted by road. – Kudzanayi Bangure
