The end of year peak travel through Lebombo has the effect that for specific periods the border experiences large volumes of vehicles on the N4 creating backlogs, congestion and delays.

This year there is a new approach to dealing with the volumes. Trucks and small vehicles will remain on the N4 whilst taxi’s, busses and light delivery vehicles carrying passengers will be diverted on the Coopersdal road to join the Strydomblok intersection with the N4 then enter the KM 7 facility at a new entrance next to the red aeroplane.

Although the border post is open 24 hours for passenger vehicles, cargo clearance is between 06h00 – 22h00.

With the opening of the KM7 bulk clearance facility from 13 December to accommodate the large volumes of vehicles and travellers expected, the normal escorting of processed vehicles to the border post will once again take place. This will happen on a 24 hour basis until 25 December or until the traffic is manageable at the port and the KM7 is closed for bulk processing. The escorted vehicles will be escorted to the border by Traffic, CBRTA and SARS in batches and they will use the truck lane from BP to enter the bypass facility where an escort lane will be established.

The problem with this is that the cargo clearance hours will affect the bypass lane (which is wanted to kept clear for escorting and for possible emergencies) if trucks are allowed to proceed to the border and queue between 22h00 to 06h00 every night.

Companies are requested to inform all their drivers and transporters that they remain at KM 7 until 06h00 when the vehicles will be released through the border, either in batches or under escort depending the volumes on the N4. All drivers are to process their passport control process at KM 7 before proceeding to the border.

There will be a large traffic control presence from Marloth Park to the border and drivers not adhering to the rules of the road will face severe penalties.

For more information kindly contact the Group Manager for Customs at Lebombo, Mr Piet van der Westhuizen on the below contact details. Note: This is an internal Customs arrangement implemented/proposed to ensure effective and efficient clearance and removal of trucks from KM7 to the border and without the transporter/agents support might cause delays and congestion which will require us to move resources to the N4 to resolve them thus compromising other areas of the operation

Piet van der Westhuizen

Group Manager – Customs

South African Revenue Service

Cell: 082 417 8030 Tel: 013 793 6122/7842 Fax: 0102081499