Department of Logistics

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Browsing Department of Logistics by Author "Adams, Tiffany Michelle"

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    The impact of the moratorium on the regulation governing vehicle height restriction : a South African high cube container case
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Adams, Tiffany Michelle; Goedhals-Gerber, Leila Louise; Van Eeden, Joubert; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Logistics. Logistics.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : South Africa’s export industry is reliant on deep-sea shipping. Over the past twenty years, there has been a shift in the global shipping industry, resulting in a move away from the standard general purpose and refrigerated 12-metre container to high cube containers that have an external height of 2.896-metres. Subsequently, there has been an increase in the number of container shipments worldwide and South Africa has joined this contagion. The majority of the fruit that is cultivated in South Africa is exported to international markets via refrigerated containers and more specifically the 40-foot high cube container. Regulation 224 (b) of the National Road Traffic Act of 1996 legislates that the maximum legal height limit for vehicles without an abnormal permit in South Africa is 4.3-metres. The regulations provide that any vehicle, other than double-deck busses, may not exceed an overall height limit, including load projections of 4.3-metres. Since 2009, there has been an increase in the number of high cube containers in use. With a 2.9-metre container on a flat deck trailer standing at 1.60-metre deck height, it results in an overall height of 4.5 metres, thus exceeding the legislative limit of 4.3-metres. In 2009, the Road Traffic Inspectors in KwaZulu-Natal identified that High Cube ISO Containers, being transported on a normal road transport trailer, exceeded the legislated limit of 4.3m by approximately 0.2m to 0.3m. In 2011, a moratorium, which for a period of seven years, exempted the operation of a motor vehicle transporting an ISO container from complying with the provision of regulation 224 (b) was implemented. The main research objectives of this study are as follows; firstly, to research and understand the process of impact analysis in freight regulation by providing an understanding of the extent of the impact and to research the stakeholder analysis process and provide an overview of the stakeholders. Secondly, to identify the consequences that the various industries will encounter if the legislation is not amended by determining whether there will be an effect on industry’s productivity and on the efficiency of operations within industry. Thirdly, to identify what international best practices could be implemented to ensure road users’ safety and increase the growth of the economy. Lastly, to gather the necessary data, analyse the data, and provide a conclusion on the likely impact should the legislation not be amended. The study was explorative in nature and a purposive form of non-probability sampling was used to select the sample units. Two hundred and forty-seven (247) stakeholders were included in the sample, but the response rate was 77 stakeholders. The researcher contacted the stakeholders via telephone, email and by sending out a survey to obtain more insight into the moratorium and the regulation governing vehicle height restriction. The researcher used the internet to investigate websites, annual reports, academic publications and articles. After collecting the data, the researcher combined the individual responses into the stakeholder groups in Excel, after which, the researcher analysed the data using the AHP method to conduct an impact analysis on the findings. The AHP method allowed the researcher to determine a score of how ‘valuable’ the choices are and how the decision maker ‘feels’ about the choices. The researcher identified two impacts, namely: a financial impact and a transportation risk. The data analysis identified that there would be a negative financial impact on the South African economy if the regulation remains under the status quo. Many of the stakeholders are concerned about the financial impact and the preferred height choice of between 4.3m and 4.6m as many transporters are operating at a height of 4.5m. South Africa’s government needs to consider the views of all stakeholders involved in the regulation governing vehicle height restriction and the transportation of high cube containers. The main findings of the study have concluded that there is a greater financial impact on the economy. Although, government has stated its claims, there have not been any recorded accidents or incidents related to the height of high cube containers.