Civil Engineering nOVEMBER 2021 | Vol 29 No 10

Transportat i on D espite the significance of the cross-border road transport industry, this sector faces several hard and soft infrastructure challenges. It is therefore imperative for stakeholders, especially regulatory, transport and trade facilitation institutions, to continu- ously monitor the state of cross-border road transport operations to identify bottlenecks. Resolving cross-border chal- lenges is a daunting task which requires involvement of several public and private sector stakeholders at local, national and regional levels. This article highlights key challenges affecting cross-border road transport operations in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and consequently regional trade. KEY CHALLENGES Despite the significance of the road trans- port industry, the sector faces a plethora of challenges, including: Q Q Missing road links along sections of strategic road transport corridors such as the North-South Corridor hinder connectivity and increase travel distances for cross-border operators and traders Q Q Poorly maintained regional road networks hinder transport efficiency, increase transit times and the cost of doing business which in turn affect the competitiveness of goods traded in the region Q Q Weak regulatory institutions are often characterised by lack of expe- rienced technical resources to drive mandates, package infrastructure programmes, and oversee their implementation Q Q Disjointed regulatory frameworks, depicted by variability in regulatory requirements between member states, increase the cost of compliance for cross-border operators Q Q Outdated and inappropriate information and communications technology (ICT) systems for facilitating the electronic sharing of information between regulatory authorities in the region and border post agencies Q Q Inefficient border posts owing to ineffective border management systems, paper-based systems in some countries, onsite execution of customs clearance procedures (instead of pre- clearance), lack of ICT systems for data exchange, and repetitive processes and procedures cause lengthy delays for commercial road transport operators at border posts Q Q Inadequate border post infrastructure (e.g. signage, buildings, operating counters and parking) Q Q The existence of various official and unofficial roadblocks and inspection points along strategic road transport corridors increase transit time and create opportunities for corruption by law enforcement officials Q Q Lack of and poor monitoring and evaluation of prioritised infrastructure programmes and unavailability of information on the project status of such programmes Challenges affecting cross‑border road transport operations and recommended solutions Tracking the state of the cross-border environment is an important step towards understanding the infrastructure challenges and bottlenecks affecting the sector, the nature and context of the challenges, and mapping of interventions which could potentially be implemented to address the challenges. 22 November 2021 Civil Engineering Etiyel Chibira Senior Manager: Research and Project Management Cross-Border Road Transport Agency etiyel.chibira@cbrta.co.za Helene Du Toit Senior Research Specialist Cross-Border Road Transport Agency helene.dutoit@cbrta.co.za