January freight transportation income up 20.2%

Releasing the latest land transport figures, Stats SA said the volume of goods transported for January increased by 12.6% to 54.062 million tonnes compared with January 2011.

The monthly land transport survey covers passenger and freight transportation by rail and road.

The results of this land transport survey are used to compile estimates of the gross domestic product and its components.

The income from freight transportation for the three months ended January 2012 increased by 17.7% compared with same period last year.

Increase

The increase of 17.7% in income from freight transportation was driven largely by primary mining and quarrying products, with 27.1% and contributing 8.6 percentage points; followed by manufactured food, beverages and tobacco products contributing 19.5% and 2.9 percentage points.

Other freight contributed 22.4% and 1.9 percentage points.

Income from passenger transportation increased by 11.6% year on year in January to R724 million.

The number of passengers increased 8% to 62,280 passengers compared with January 2011, Stats SA said.

Income from passenger transportation for the three months to January 2012 increased by 12.1% compared with the corresponding period last year.

The main contributor to the 12.1% increase was road passenger transportation, with 12.5% and contributing 9.8 percentage points, followed by railway passenger transportation at 10.6% and contributing 2.3 percentage points.