December volume of goods transported down 1.7% y/y

The volume of goods transported fell by 1.7% in December. Image: Idea Go Free Free Digital Photos

The corresponding income increased by 5.5% over the same period.

Income from freight transportation increased by 5.1% in the fourth quarter of 2013 compared with the fourth quarter of the previous year.

The main contributors to this increase were "other" freight (23.2% and contributing 2.2 percentage points); primary mining and quarrying products (3.9% and contributing 1.3 percentage points); and basic metals and fabricated metal products (19.8% and contributing 0.9 of a percentage point).

Stats SA also noted that the number of passenger journeys decreased by 1.3% in December compared with a year before. The corresponding income increased by 3.9% over the same period.