The trucking of coal in Mpmumalanga over weekends, between 18:00 on Fridays and 06:00 on Sundays, by Eskom has stopped. This is being done to minimise both fatal road accidents and the breakdown of trucks due to mechanical failure.

Due to a recent spate of public and driver fatalities, Eskom has over the past three months consulted with its stakeholders in the transport and coal mining industry to review options to improve safety on the coal haulage routes in Mpumalanga.

Eskom’s analysis had found that the period from a Friday 18:00 to a Sunday at 06:00 has accounted for 36% of the fatal road accidents.  Incident information of the last three years, received from the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison – DCSSL (Road Safety and Law Enforcement Division) for the Gert Sibande District, in whose jurisdiction falls the majority of the coal haul road network, corroborated these findings.  The findings concluded that speeding, fatigue, visibility, road conditions, adherence to the rules of the road and alcohol were some of the main factors contributing to accidents.

This intervention will result in increased rest time for truck drivers and all transporters’ staff, which will aid in fatigue management and allow for regular intervals to conduct in-depth maintenance and mechanical performance testing of trucks to further minimise incidents resulting from mechanical failure.

Last year Eskom’s contracted coal road-haulage companies trucked around 14 million tons of coal and a further 20 million tons was transported by companies contracted directly with mining companies that supply Eskom’s power stations.