Transport News
TFR starts yearly maintenance on East London-Free State-Northern Cape railway line
Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) has begun with the annual upkeep shutdown of the Cape Corridor’s East London primary line, which will continue for seven days up until January 22 and see no trains running on the line. The maintenance is set to enhance the 629-km-long rail network covering the locations from East London, in the Eastern Cape, to Springfontein, in the Free State, in addition to from Springfontein to Noupoort, in the Northern Cape.
Joburg implementing short-term interventions to repair flood-damaged roads
The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) has actually laid out short-term recovery interventions to fix Joburg’s flood-damaged roadways facilities. The city’s 7 local depots will be running at full capacity from January 16, with teams prioritising the flooding therapeutic work.
South Africa should ensure WEF discussions reinforce COP27 energy transition plan – BLSA
South Africa must make sure the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting conversation in Davos, Switzerland, this week enhances the country’s simply energy transition strategy, which it attains worldwide solidarity across business and political spheres to guarantee they become part of the task of decarbonising the country’s economy, while ensuring energy security and supporting development, said business lobby Business Leadership South Africa CEO Busi Mavuso. South Africa advanced plans for a Just Energy Transition Partnership with a number of industrialized nations to supply $8.5-billion to support the nation’s energy shift at the twenty-seventh United Nations Conference of the Parties in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in November in 2015.
Major aircraft leasing company predicts air traffic to complete recovery from Covid this year
Ireland-based worldwide aircraft renting business Avolon (which has actually an owned, handled and committed fleet of 834 airplane) expected international air traffic to return to pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels by June this year. The forecast is included in a report launched by the company on Monday, entitled “2023 Outlook: Climb to Cruise”, which was co-authored by Avolon Chief Risk Officer Jim Morrison and its Counterparty Risk & & Sustainability head Rosemarie O’Leary. In 2015 saw global air passenger traffic recuperate by 70%, a development led by North America and Europe. This year, the report forecast, the recovery would be led by Asia, improved by China’s current resuming. Of total airline company capacity (in terms of seats) included this year, 50% would remain in Asia. Last year’s recovery brought airline companies practically back to success, after suffering total global losses of $180-billion in 2020 and 2021. This year, they were expected to achieve a total worldwide revenue of $4.7-billion.
Ride-hailing inDrive app will cover costs of users’ app data
Peer-to-peer ride-hailing platform inDrive says all inDrive application (app) users in South Africa can utilize the service without incurring mobile data costs, as the business will cover the cost for all mobile data that users take in when utilizing the app. “Owing to our collaboration with mobile operator MTN, we can supply people with the chance to utilize our service to the fullest, offer and receive the services they require at reasonable prices and not stress over requiring Wi-Fi to utilize it,” says inDrive service development representative Vincent Lilane.
TFR calls on emerging miners to apply for export manganese rail, port capacity
State-owned Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) has actually welcomed emerging miners who hold legitimate mining rights and have existing manganese mining operations to apply for two-million lots a year of export manganese capacity that it has offered. All applications will be assessed in line with Transnet’s requirements, as set out in the application procedure document, following the closing date of January 20, 2023.
Airlink scores top in Airports Company South Africa’s punctuality rankings for 2022
South African airline Airlink has been ranked, by Airports Company South Africa (Acsa), as having the best On-Time Performance (OTP) of any of the airlines using its airports last year. State-owned Acsa owns and operates nine airports across the country, including Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International, Cape Town International, and Durban’s King Shaka International. The apparent discrepancy between the Acsa OTP rankings and those recently released by global aviation database and analytics company OAG, which ranked FlySafair as South Africa’s most punctual (and the world’s second most punctual) airline, was caused by the parameters of the OAG report. These parameters restricted the OAG report to the world’s 250 biggest airlines, in terms of passenger capacity. This excluded airlines operating smaller airliners, with seat capacities of 150 or less each, such as, in South Africa, Airlink and Cem Air.
Liebherr agrees to repay R54m to Transnet in port cranes case
State-owned Transnet and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) have concluded a settlement contract with heavy machinery business Liebherr to pay back R54-million to Transnet, concerning the award of 2 tenders in 2013 and 2014 for the supply of cranes to Transnet. The SIU discovered that the decision to award the tenders was irregular, following which Transnet, the SIU and Liebherr agreed that the decision to award the tenders need to be examined and set aside.
Sanral reinstates N2 uThongati, uMvoti toll payments following flood-damage repairs
The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) states toll charges at the N2 uThongati and uMvoti toll plazas will be reinstated from February 1, following the conclusion of repairs to flood-damaged infrastructure on the R102 and M4 near the plazas. Nevertheless, while toll collection will resume on the N2 uThongati Mainline and North Ramps and N2 uMvoti Mainline and all ramps for all lorries, toll charges on the N2 uThongati South Ramps will stay suspended up until gain access to along the M4 uThongati River Bridge has been restored, it added in a January 11 statement.
Transnet to issue locomotive rehabilitation tender as it reaches impasse with CRRC
State-owned Transnet says it has reached an impasse with CRRC E-Loco Supply, following an "unwillingness" on the part of CRRC to engage with the relevant authorities in South Africa to normalise its operations in the country. Therefore, Transnet says that, as a matter of urgency, it will be issuing an open, competitive tender inviting any eligible original-equipment manufacturer (OEM) to step-in to rehabilitate the non-operational Chinese locomotives.
President Ramaphosa must appoint competent Transport Minister – Intercape
President Cyril Ramaphosa should designate a skilled individual to the “vital portfolio” of Transport Minister; someone “who is able to bring responsibility, stability and order to the sector”, says Intercape CEO Johann Ferreira. This follows the handing down previously this month of yet another judgment against Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula by the Makhanda High Court in the Eastern Cape.
Global report ranks a South African airline as the second most punctual in the world
Global air travel database and analytics company OAG released its “Punctuality League 2023” report on Tuesday, ranking both airlines and airports all over the world in regards to their On-Time Performance (OTP) throughout last year. And a South African airline company was ranked 2nd on the planet for its OTP: FlySafair (although the report calls it Safair, after its parent business). FlySafair accomplished an OTP of 95.3%, second only to Garuda Indonesia’s 95.63%. There were no other African airlines within the Top 20. There was likewise just one US provider in this group, Delta Air Lines, ranked 17th, with an OTP of 81.79%. On the other hand, the list included seven Asian and six Latin American airline companies. The list was completed by 3 European and 2 Middle Eastern carriers.
Report ranks two South African airports in global top 20 regarding punctuality
Two South African airports have actually scored extremely in the ‘Punctuality League 2023’ report. This report was assembled by global air travel database and analytics company OAG, utilizing 2022 information, and launched on Tuesday. It noted, in the order of their On-Time Performance (OTP), the leading 20 airports worldwide, in addition to the top ten airports in each of the areas into which OAG divided the world. The report noted Durban’s King Shaka International Airport in 5th place in the worldwide top 20, with an OTP of 89.73%. And Cape Town International Airport was ranked 16th, with an OTP of 87.02%. (Although not noted in the report, both these airports were owned and run by the State-owned Airports Company South Africa.) Cape Town’s cancellation rate, at 1.02%, was lower than that for King Shaka (1.37%).
Ride-hailing inDriver app will cover costs of users’ app data
Peer-to-peer ride-hailing platform inDriver states all inDriver application (app) users in South Africa can use the service without sustaining mobile information expenses, as the company will cover the cost for all mobile information that users consume when utilizing the app. “Owing to our collaboration with mobile operator MTN, we can offer individuals with the chance to use our service to the maximum, deal and get the services they require at reasonable prices and not stress over requiring Wi-Fi to use it,” states inDriver company development representative Vincent Lilane.
IATA reports that global air passenger traffic continued to recover in November
Global air passenger traffic continued, in November, to recuperate from the results of the Covid-19 pandemic, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has actually reported. (IATA is the representative body for the worldwide airline company industry.) In year-on-year (y-o-y) terms, overall air passenger traffic in November was up 41.3%. This meant that it reached 75.3% of the pre-Covid level taped in November 2019. International air passenger traffic jumped 85.2% y-o-y, while the equivalent increase in domestic traffic came to 3.4%. (Domestic air transport resumed significantly earlier than international air traffic, indicating that its development came off a greater base than that for international flights.) November 2022 global air passenger traffic reached 73.7% of that in November 2019, while for domestic traffic the equivalent figure was 77.7%.
Traffic in Suez Canal normal after ship breakdown dealt with – SCA
Shipping traffic in the Suez Canal was proceeding typically on Monday after yanks hauled a cargo vessel that broke down during its passage through the waterway, the Canal Authority stated. The breakdown was expected to trigger just minor hold-ups, with convoys of ships resuming routine transit by 11:00 local time (09:00 GMT), shipping agent Leth stated.
Completion of Cape Town port interim truck staging area to improve traffic flow – TNPA
A new interim truck staging location (ITSA) at the Cape Town port, rolled out in two stages, is now totally operational, says the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA). The center, situated along with Duncan roadway, intends to function as an overflow waiting location in instances where the operational terminals have actually reached full capacity and can no longer allow trucks to enter.
Global air cargo demand decreased, year-on-year, in November
Total international air freight demand during November 2022 declined by 13.7% in year-on-year (y-o-y) terms, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported on Monday. (IATA is the representative body of the global airline industry.) International air freight demand fell 14.2%, y-o-y. In contrast to November 2019 (prior to the Covid-19 pandemic hit), the decline in overall demand was 10.1%. Total global air freight capability in November in 2015 was 1.9% down, y-o-y, although international air freight capacity reduced by only 0.1% over the very same duration. November was the second month in 2022 to see a y-o-y capacity decrease, the very first being October. In comparison with November 2019, capability in November 2022 fell by 8.8%.
MSC Group completes purchase of Bollore Africa Logistics
French conglomerate Bollore, run by the family of billionaire Vincent Bollore, said on Wednesday it had completed the sale of its Bollore Africa Logistics arm to shipping company MSC Group. The Bollore company added the transaction was on the basis of a €5.7-billion enterprise value.
JDA completes two-year-long construction of Fifth road bridge
The Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) has actually finished building and construction of the Fifth roadway bridge in Northwold, following damage to the facilities after heavy flooding in December 2020. Following the disaster, the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) designated a specialist and an engineer to style and build a short-lived access roadway off Malibongwe drive, north of the N1, as an interim step.