By King Mthombeni
The Gauteng Provincial Government has partnered with the Road Freight Association (RFA), Trucking Wellness, Engine SA and the Bargaining Council for the Road Freight and Logistics Industry (NBCRFLI) to bring the first pop-up vaccination station along the N3 route for truck drivers. The drive will run from 06 until 10 September 2021.
The campaign is targeted to assist truck drivers operating on the N3 corridor to register and get their jabs while en-route to their various destinations. It also affords drivers to engage with the #RequestASlotGP campaign to have them allocated slots to renew their licences.
Expressing his appreciation and excitement about the launch, RFA's Chief Executive Officer Gavin Kelly said "I'm really happy to see something like this happening, thanking the Department of Health in Ekurhuleni to have given us the vaccine. What you see here is what we want to do across the nation. To make our drivers safe, we will spread it in terms of this vaccination pop-up station as far across the nation as we can. It's going to be on the major routes".
The initiative is an outcome of resolutions taken at the Gauteng Freight Forum, promoting collaboration and partnership between the industry's vaccination drive with that of the Gauteng Department of Health.
The forum is a platform for information-sharing between private sector players and provincial government in identifying challenges facing the sector and to promptly resolve.
Speaking of the collaboration and role of the sector in the economy, MEC Jacob Mamabolo indicated that "we are strengthening the partnership amongst ourselves, with the industry we are dealing with challenges such as threats, attacks to the roads freight industry". He added that "if the trucking industry stops, South Africa stops. The South African economy depends on roads freight, they carry almost 90 percent of all freight that moves on the ground and COVID-19 poses a threat to the sector and country".
"It is important to protect and preserve the lives of the drivers, assisting them to get a jab is key".
The MEC also highlighted the Department's campaign - #RequestASlotGP – as "promoting law-enforcement in helping those who want to renew their driving licences to do so". By bringing the campaign to those who present themselves for vaccination assists in promoting the service and allows for drivers to check on their status and standing.