BY PHUMELELE MKHONTA
MBABANE– The Minister of Public Works and Transport, Chief Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe, has preached maximising alignment with regards to rail systems in the Southern African region.
The minister expressed himself at the Southern African Railway Association (SARA) Conference themed ‘Transforming Rail Transportation Through Innovative Solutions for an Increased Modal Shift.
The conference was held at Gallagher Convention Centre in South Africa.
During his deliberations, the minister challenged the SARA to find ways to align operations in all her member states so that there is continuation in the rail transportation industry.
This is according to information sourced from Eswatini Government online platforms.
The minister said the difference in systems used by countries was slowing down the turnaround time, as a result setting back the industry.
“SARA must work with all member states and rail companies to align operations so that there are seamless activities in the region. The sharing of existing capacities and technologies is one way to ensure the region moves together to achieve a common goal.
“There is still work to be done in terms of making the populace and Transport consumers understand why rail is an option for transportation and how it is beneficial for all to use rail. The development and improving of rail transport infrastructure is one key aspect that would ensure rail transport becomes the most preferred mode of transport. The handling capacity and efficiency at rail transportation systems also contribute to the consideration of preference of rail to other modes of transport,” said Ndwandwe.
The minister also said the maximum usage of rail would ease the load on their roads, as this would transfer bigger freight to rail in the process reducing chances of damage on the road infrastructure and prolonging its life.
“We need to also explore how we can also use rail as passenger transportation because currently it is only used for freight transportation,” he said.
According to Wikipedia, the Southern African Railways Association (SARA) is the association of railway companies in the SADC region, especially those using 3 feet 6 in (1 067 mm) gauge. Besides railway operating companies, it welcomes also other stakeholders of the railway industry, like suppliers of railway technology and some important customers. SARA was founded in 1996 and is a non-profit organisation. SARA has its seat in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Besides promoting and lobbying for rail transport, SARA aims to promote interconnectivity and cross border operability of railways for regional and continental rail network connectivity in Southern Africa.
