The directive was reportedly issued after an urgent meeting on Friday between the national Department and the Road Freight Association (RFA).
The enthusiasm of the local authority threatened to bring container movement out of the port of Durban to a shuddering halt. As reports emerged of fines being issued and vehicles being impounded, truckers refused to pick up high cube containers from the port.
While reports have surfaced that some transport companies were planning to obtain a high court interdict to prevent high-cube truckers from being fined and their vehicles impounded, the RFA said it was unaware of any such planned court action.
According to the RFA, the national department denied issuing an instruction to any provincial department to impound vehicles carrying high-cube containers or to cease issuing abnormal load permits.
However, Cargo Info reports that while the KZN provincial authority is allowing truckers to move high cube containers within a 25 km radius of the port for unpacking, it will still impound any such vehicle travelling beyond that boundary.
