Page 24 - Logistics News - September October 2022

TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGIES

Intelligent transportation

technologies crucial

The local transport and logistics sector is facing numerous challenges, from volatile fuel prices to a
continuing recovery from COVID-19-related chaos and environmental concerns. Security is another
area of serious focus for this industry and one that is pervasive across the supply chain.

“ ooking at our railways, the 2022. Truck hijackings saw the second biggest
Passenger Rail Agency of South
increase in statistics, increasing at an almost
L Africa (PRASA) announced recently unthinkable 700 percent, quarter on quarter.”
that it spends R1 billion per year to protect
its infrastructure, with the local freight “With these sobering statistics and
rail network being massively impacted by figures in mind, it makes sense then that
theft and vandalism,” states Glenn Noome, transportation and logistics organisations
Director at Smart Integration, a wholly owned are increasingly turning to technology to
Ulwembu Business Services organisation. safeguard both their drivers and their cargo.
Not only can these smart security solutions
Transnet advised last year that it too Glenn Noome, Director at help with supply chain security, but they are
had laid out R1.6 billion on security, having Smart Integration. also critical to employee health and safety, and
seen an increase of 177 percent in theft performance improvement,” he adds.
and damage on its lines, an issue that has severely affected its
ability to move critical export volumes. The role of smart video in transport and logistics
management

“And this is not the only area of transport and logistics According to Hikvision South Africa Solution’s Director,
under fire in South Africa,” Noome continues. “In June this Eric Zhang, logistics operators are making significant
year, the South African Police Service (SAPS) presented the investments in automation and digitalisation in order to
country’s latest crime statistics, which covered the fourth address security concerns, improve loss prevention and
quarter of the 2021/22 financial year, January to March efficiency, and reduce unit order costs.

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