Address by the Minister of Transport, Ms Dipuo Peters, on the occasion of the second National Road Safety Summit, Ratanga Junction Cape Town, Cape Town
Programme Director;
Deputy Minister of Transport, Mrs Sindisiwe Lydia Chikunga;
All Transport and Community Safety MECs present; Grant, Molapisi and Komphela
Members of the Portfolio Committee on Transport;
Chairpersons and Chief Executive Officers of Transport Entities,
Leaders of the bus and taxi industries;
All transport sector stakeholders present;
Representatives of various community and faith based organisations;
Road Safety activists;
Ladies and gentlemen of the media;
Ladies and gentlemen;
As we gather here today for the second National Road Safety Summit we need to take stock of the progress made since our maiden summit in 2013. We need to take a closer look at the challenges that were encountered and collective achievements in the implementation of the resolutions taken at that Summit. You would recall that the first National Road Safety Summit, held in Boksburg from the 4 to 5 of October 2013, adopted a number resolutions emanating from constructive inputs by, amongst others, members of the civil society, business organisations, law enforcement agencies, agencies of the department of transport, non-governmental organisations, road safety experts and the public transport industry.
Ladies and Gentlemen Although progress has been made in implementing the resolutions that were adopted at the last Summit, it is unacceptable that the implementation of some of the resolutions is still outstanding. Key amongst these outstanding resolutions is the review of the Road Safety Strategy. It is inexcusable that, in a country where approximately 14 000 people die on the roads each year, the review of the 2006 Road Safety Strategy is still ongoing and not yet finalised. This review of the Road Safety Strategy must be concluded without any further delay by end June 2016.
The strategy must be aligned to internationally recognised intervention, called the Safe Systems Approach (SSA), that acknowledge and recognise the relationship between different factors that contribute to road crashes. The SSA approach acknowledges and responds to factors like human error and neglect, conditions of the vehicle, road and the environmental factors. The safe system approach is a proven way to save lives and reduce serious injuries. Originally developed in Sweden, it has been applied in New Zealand since 2010 and is helping to drive down the rate of death and injury on their roads. South Africa as part of the global world should learn from other international best practices.
The SSA doesn’t take the road user out of the picture or diminish their responsibilities. Instead of laying the majority of blame on the road user, it recognises the need for all road system designers and road system users to share responsibility for what happens when a crash occurs. This summit must engage robustly on this matter and draw up a map that will lead us to the finalisation of the Road Safety Strategy. Let us spare no moment in finding new initiatives and solutions that will lay a solid foundation for generations to come. We have all the knowledge, abilities and capabilities, under this roof, to develop and craft a very informed and researched road safety strategy document, which should be an instrument used at our schools to teach about road safety.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Many lives continue to be lost on our roads. Road traffic fatalities are amongst the main causes of death in South Africa today. This results in serious social and economic costs for the country. The economic ramifications include the increase in the social development and health budgets spent. Of extreme concern is that 80% of road crash fatalities are adults and males aged between 19 and 34 years old. I want to congratulate COSAS for their intervention called youth and road safety again living their slogan of “Each one teach one”. Pedestrians are the most vulnerable constituting just under 40% of fatalities in both urban and rural areas. New and inexperience drivers between the age of 25 and 34 years of age are most likely to die on the roads.
Women are most likely to die on the roads as passengers especially in public transport vehicles while children are affected as passengers and pedestrians. Statistics show that light passenger vehicles and light delivery vehicles contribute the highest number of fatal crashes on the roads. Light passenger vehicles account for 48% of fatal crashes followed by light delivery vehicles at 19%. Minibuses contribute 9.7%, buses 1.3% and trucks 1.7%.
Five major contributory factors to crashes have been identified as follows:
- Speeding that are too high for circumstance leading to loss of control and inability to avoid hazards.
- Secondly abuse of alcohol by both drivers and pedestrian,
- Followed by dangerous overtaking i.e. overtaking in the face of oncoming traffic,
- Vehicle fitness defective tyres, steering and brakes especially on public passenger and freight transport and
- Pedestrian negligence namely jaywalking, walking on freeways, drinking and walking and failing to wear visible clothing at night.
In the period from our first national summit till today we have identified and implemented majors to address this situation. This summit must reflect on these majors, their implications and advise us on the best possible solutions. We have decided to streamline and align traffic law-enforcement across all three spheres of Government and introduce a 24/7 shift system. The statistics released last year has indicated majority of accidents happen in the hours between 22h00 and 6 am. The truth of the matter is that available resources in South Africa do not permit this huge duplication of functions and multiple independent command and control structures that currently exist within our traffic law-enforcement fraternity.
The constitutional imperative that there be a Single Police Service where Municipal, Metro and traffic police should be placed under the command and control of the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service must soon become a reality. There is a dire need for the harmonisation of the road traffic and law-enforcement in the country which will facilitate coordination, collaboration and ensure implementation and compliance with agreed uniform national standards.
To this regard, the Road Safety Advisory Council was established under the auspices of the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC). The council meets quarterly to provide inputs into the strategic direction, oversight and critical assessment of proposed road safety initiatives and campaigns. Further to the above, we have already started engagements with the Department of Justice to introduce minimum sentences for negligent and reckless driving. We are seeking to reclassify drunken driving from a Schedule 3, which is less severe to a more severe Schedule 5 offence to ensure those who negligently cause crashes on the roads do not get bail easily and spend time behind bars.
As you may be aware, I have introduced for public comment new regulations to make our roads safer. These proposed regulations are in addition to the regulations that came in effect in May this year compelling passengers in motor vehicles to wear seatbelts and drivers to ensure that children under the age of three years are place on car seats or child restraints whenever they are transported on public roads. In the new regulations, I have proposed the practical re-testing of drivers who make an application for the renewal of driving licence cards. The idea is not to make applicants to rewrite test but it is for the applicant to practical demonstrate his driving ability on a vehicle for which he or she is seeking a new licence. This is done in order to eliminate fraudsters and ensure that an applicant knows the rules of the roads and is fit to drive the class of vehicle for which they are seeking a licence.
The regulations also seek to restrict the use of bakkies, vans and trucks, for the transportation of human beings. The regulation limits to five the number of people who may be transported at the back of a goods vehicle provided they are employees travelling to work. The regulations are explicit that no school children may be transported at the back of a bakkies, van or truck and these vehicles may not be used as taxis unless permission has been granted in terms of the National Land and Transport Act. The regulations also seek to reduce speed limits to 40 kilometres an hour in respect of public roads within residential areas. A speed limit of 80 kilometres an hour shall apply on public roads, other than freeways, situated outside of urban areas. A speed limit of 120 kilometres an hour shall apply on all freeways provided a limit of 100 kilometres is observed if the freeway passes through a residential area.
The regulations also seek to restrict the operation of heavy trucks on public roads between certain hours. Our proposal is that heavy trucks should be prohibited from using the road between 06H00 and 09H00 in the morning and between 17h00 and 20h00 in the evening from Monday to Friday, excluding weekends and public holidays. Ladies and gentlemen, Corrupt public servants such as traffic officers who take bribes and allow road users who drive unroadworthy vehicles or to continue driving while inebriated only serve to 6 undermine the laws that are put in place to prevent such occurrences. Public servants who authorise and issue licenses to incompetent and under-trained drivers are also costing us dearly on the roads. I want to say to these corrupt employees of the state, YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED!! , and to the good ones, keep up the good work.
The fight against corruption continues to be taken forward by the Anti-Corruption Inter Ministerial Committee. Government has in place seven anti-corruption institutions and 17 pieces of legislation which are intended to combat corruption. This demonstrates a concerted effort by government to break the back of this scourge in the country. I want to appeal to our communities, Please stop bribing our police and traffic officers. In the 2013/14 financial year, 52 persons were convicted in cases involving more than R5 million. Thirty one public servants were convicted in the first quarter of 2014/15 and freezing orders to the value of R430 million were obtained. Our good work will not be undone by your greed and callousness and we will not allow you to tarnish the reputation of our ruling government.
So passop! Through the Road Accident Benefit Scheme (RABS) Bill, we are combating the prevalence of unscrupulous lawyers exploiting road crash victims. RABS is intended to replace the current fault-based system administered by the Road Accident Fund (RAF), which often results in extensive and costly litigation, prolonged claims finalisation and high administrative costs. Under RABS, fault will not be considered on the part of the claimant or other persons involved in the road accident. The focus will essentially be on how the claimant is immediately assisted. A no-fault scheme will create a new era of socio-economic balance and will also remove the unintended negative consequences and financial burden on the families of the wrongdoer.
Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that I capture the sentiments of everyone gathered here today when I say that the importance of the National Road Safety Summit cannot be overstated. Our dialogue and engagements will be of critical importance to the development of our country and economy. So let us engage and let us continue building on the legacy of the founding fathers of our maturing democratic nation. Our vitally important odyssey towards achieving uncompromised and dependable safety on our roads is shared and we all need to play our role by behaving and demonstrating responsible, patriotic and compassionate behaviour as citizens.
You would be hard pressed not to agree with me when I say that, as patriots and caring citizens, and I believe all of us gathered here in this splendid venue are, we cannot afford to allow the economic impact of road fatalities to circumvent our common vision and objectives as spelled out by the National Development Plan (NDP). You would know that The NDP aims to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030.
According to the plan, South Africa can realise these goals by drawing on the energies of its people, growing an inclusive economy, building capabilities, enhancing the capacity of the state, and promoting leadership and partnerships throughout society. I am therefore calling on all of your energies and mental contributions to make our gathering a very fruitful and incisive one because it is important for the future our country. Let us be emboldened by the Freedom Charter of 1955 as well as our wonderful democratic and constitutional rights to public participation in matters that shape our country. Together we can reverse the negative consequences of this regrettable scourge and our engagement at this summit will undoubtedly prove that.
Ladies and Gentlemen
This summit is convened at a time when all UN Member States are preparing to go to the Second High-Level Conference on Road Safety which will be hosted in Brazil from 18 to 19 November 2015. The conference will bring together Ministers, Senior Officials, Representative of Civil Society and business leaders to review progress in the implementation of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 and to define the next steps the world must take to achieve the goal of the Decade of Action to save 5 million lives.
As a country we will be presenting our mid-term report based on the five Pillars of a United Nation’s Framework of Decade of Road Safety, which are:
- Pillar One: Road Safety Management;
- Pillar Two: Safer Roads and Mobility;
- Pillar Three: Safer Roads;
- Pillar Four: Safer Road User; and
- Pillar Five: Post Crush Response
We have committed ourselves to achieve the goals of the Decade of Action by implementing a 365 days road safety programme focusing on 4Es of Education, Engineering, Enforcement and Evaluation. We intend to use our unique experiences and knowledge to make meaningful contributions to the Second High Level Conference on Road Safety in Brazil. The outcomes of this summit will be integral to our substantially participation in South America and will help show the rest of the world the intensity of our devotion towards realising to the resolutions of the UN Decade of Action on Road Safety.
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is envisaged that our well-intentioned convergence under the theme “Save Lives, Move South Africa Forward” will inspire our deliberations and collective endeavours towards achieving the two crucial feats mentioned in our summit’s slogan. I say this because we cannot expect to move forward as a country if we continue to unrelentingly bear the brunt of the human and economic costs created by road fatalities. More importantly, the transport sector is very crucial to South Africa’s economy.
I thank you!!
