Road transport levels lower in December

The volume of goods transported by road decreased by 0.1% in December according to Statistics SA's land transport survey released on Monday (18 February).

The corresponding income increased by 5.1% over the same period.

Income from freight transportation increased by 5.9% in the fourth quarter of 2012 compared with the same period in 2011.

The main contributors to this increase were primary mining and quarrying products (6.2% and contributing 2.0 percentage points); manufactured food‚ beverages and tobacco products (9.4% and contributing 1.4 percentage points); and "other" freight (13.5% and contributing 1.3 percentage points).

The number of passengers transported decreased by 3.3% in December‚ while the corresponding income increased by 15.2% over the same period.

Income from passenger transportation by road increased by 15.3% (contributing 11.8 percentage points)‚ and income from passenger transportation by rail increased by 18.8% (contributing 4.3 percentage points).