Did you know? Inland transit delays in Africa. In many carriage regimes, delays in delivering cargo have presented difficulties to cargo owners and their underwriters to varying extents.
Today, we will look at a brief overview of transit delays in Africa.
Did you know that more time is spent on border crossings in Africa than is spent on actually moving goods from one country to another?
About 67% of the time spent in cargo transport by road goes toward border crossings alone! This result in new risk exposures. In an attempt to beat the queues at such crossings, drivers in East Africa are increasingly involved in road accidents as they drive for long hours without breaks. Road accidents alone account for about 5% of the Kenyan GDP!(NTSA)
Did you know that there are about 43 check points from Abidjan to Ouagadougou?*
This happens to be the reality in several African countries. The effect of this is especially apparent in landlocked countries. These checkpoints present opportunities for unscrupulous “law enforcement officers” to squeeze money from truck drivers and swindle them for personal gains.
However, a significant portion of inland transit delays result from commercial decisions and poor planning on the part of hauliers and logistics companies.
Delays in transit are a real concern for cargo owners. While the underwriter cannot improve this reality through technical underwriting, they can however ensure that they are aware of what the various laws provide in this respect.
Under the OHADA Acte Uniforme Relative Aux Contrats De Transport De Marchandises Par Route, the carrier can be held responsible for delay under given set of circumstances. Many of the CEMAC countries are signatories to Hamburg Rules which expressly makes the carrier responsible for delay. The Proclamation No. 547/2007 in Ethiopia makes the carrier responsible for delay in delivery in its article 24.
If you you are concerned about your cargo en route in Africa, contact us through info@stilfresh.co.za for advice on actions that can be taken to safeguard your interests.
