October freight volumes down 3,3% for October

The volume of goods transported (payload) decreased by 3.3% in October 2012 compared with October 2011‚ Statistics SA reported on Monday (10 December)

The corresponding income increased by 3.4% over the same period to R8.3bn.

Data released by Stats SA also showed that income from freight transportation increased by 2.6% in the three months ended October compared with the same period last year.

The main contributors to this increase were primary mining and quarrying products (6.6% and contributing 2.1 percentage points)‚ "other" freight (5.6% and contributing 0.6 of a percentage point)‚ and manufactured food‚ beverages and tobacco products (3.5% and contributing 0.5 of a percentage point).

The number of passengers transported increased by 4.8% in October compared with a year ago. The corresponding income increased by 17.6% over the same period.

Income from passenger transportation increased by 14.6% in the three months ended October.

Income from passengers transported by road increased by 13.0% (contributing 10.0 percentage points)‚ and income from rail transport of passengers increased by 19.8% (contributing 4.6 percentage points)‚ Stats SA noted.