Uplands College
Removal of Coal
Trucks from National
Roads
An action plan to remove coal trucks from national roads by increasing the
standard of the railway system within South Africa.
Gemma Ferguson
6-14-2022
, Index
Heading Page Number
1. Outline of project justification and community needs
2. Explanation of the project
3. Goals and how they will be achieved
4. Resources required
5. Roles and responsibilities
6. Quality assurance plan
7. Bibliography
, Outline of Project Justification and Community Needs
Due to dilapidated train tracks, South Africa’s roads have become unsafe as coal
truck numbers rise
Those who live in rural areas or must travel the roads outside of big settlements
would have noticed an increase in coal trucks since the covid-19 pandemic. These
trucks are responsible for the transportation of 6 million tonnes of coal annually,
which keeps the electricity on and South Africa’s exports flowing. However, these
trucks have made roads hazardous for those who travel on them, and the problem
could be mitigated if South Africa’s railway system was at a usable level.
Coal is an essential resource within South Africa due to
Eskom, the main electricity provider of the country having
power stations that are purely coal-run. These power
stations can use up to 9000 tonnes of coal per day. The
standard coal truck in South Africa carries about 33 tonnes
of coal, meaning Eskom needs to put 273 coal trucks on
Coal-run power station the road each day to keep up with the rigorous demand. In
relation, a single car in a train can carry 100 tonnes of
coal, meaning only 90 cars are required in a train to meet demand, a much easier
solution. Whilst this solution may be easier, it’s not the one seen used today.
Train tracks in South Africa are dilapidated and often broken. They are not well
maintained, vandalised, targeted for their copper cabling, and in poorer areas have
become settlements. This means that transport companies are having to turn to the
use of trucks instead of the easier and cheaper use of trains.
An example of settlements taking over railways Example of dilapidated railway
and making them unusable
Removal of Coal
Trucks from National
Roads
An action plan to remove coal trucks from national roads by increasing the
standard of the railway system within South Africa.
Gemma Ferguson
6-14-2022
, Index
Heading Page Number
1. Outline of project justification and community needs
2. Explanation of the project
3. Goals and how they will be achieved
4. Resources required
5. Roles and responsibilities
6. Quality assurance plan
7. Bibliography
, Outline of Project Justification and Community Needs
Due to dilapidated train tracks, South Africa’s roads have become unsafe as coal
truck numbers rise
Those who live in rural areas or must travel the roads outside of big settlements
would have noticed an increase in coal trucks since the covid-19 pandemic. These
trucks are responsible for the transportation of 6 million tonnes of coal annually,
which keeps the electricity on and South Africa’s exports flowing. However, these
trucks have made roads hazardous for those who travel on them, and the problem
could be mitigated if South Africa’s railway system was at a usable level.
Coal is an essential resource within South Africa due to
Eskom, the main electricity provider of the country having
power stations that are purely coal-run. These power
stations can use up to 9000 tonnes of coal per day. The
standard coal truck in South Africa carries about 33 tonnes
of coal, meaning Eskom needs to put 273 coal trucks on
Coal-run power station the road each day to keep up with the rigorous demand. In
relation, a single car in a train can carry 100 tonnes of
coal, meaning only 90 cars are required in a train to meet demand, a much easier
solution. Whilst this solution may be easier, it’s not the one seen used today.
Train tracks in South Africa are dilapidated and often broken. They are not well
maintained, vandalised, targeted for their copper cabling, and in poorer areas have
become settlements. This means that transport companies are having to turn to the
use of trucks instead of the easier and cheaper use of trains.
An example of settlements taking over railways Example of dilapidated railway
and making them unusable
