Roads and Transport at the mass funeral of fifteen Mbizana bakkie accident
victims
15 September 2007
Let me first take this opportunity to thank you for giving me an opportunity
to extend a word of condolence to the families and the entire Mbizana community
for this tragic loss.
On behalf of the Department of Roads and Transport and the provincial
government, I would like to urge you to be strong in this painful moment.
Government will do everything it can to support the families and ensure that
this tragedy does not occur again.
Our policy, the National Land Transport Transition Act of 2000, is
unambiguous about the use of bakkies as a mode of public transport. We still
discourage our communities from using this type of transportation, as it
further affects negatively on their application to the Road Accident Fund, when
there is tragedy.
Public transport improvement
The Department of Roads and Transport remains committed to improve the
public transport system in the Mbizana area and the entire former Transkei
region. We are currently busy working together with the local small bus
operators, who have established a legal entity known as Africa's Best 350
Ltd.
The department has invested R43,3 million in this project and more funds
will come from a consortium of financiers consisting of the Industrial
Development Corporation (IDC), Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA),
National Empowerment Fund (NEF), Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC)
and Nedbank. AB350 will eventually operate a fleet of 175 brand new buses on
166 routes in the Alfred Nzo, OR Tambo, Amathole and Chris Hani Districts.
These routes have been identified by the department through a comprehensive
Route Viability Study that was conducted. The buses will be operated from seven
depots in Mbizana, Lusikisiki, Mount Frere, Matatiele, Mthatha, Queenstown and
Butterworth.
Scania and Volkswagen will supply the brand new buses. Training of bus
drivers has already commenced here in Mbizana. This will be a major injection
of quality public transport services into a poverty-stricken area by enhancing
accessibility to economic opportunities through improved mobility.
Due to the size of the operation, the project will be implemented in three
phases with effect from October 2007 with 55 buses over a period of three
weeks. A further 56 buses will be distributed with effect from April 2008 and
the last 55 with effect from April 2009.
We are making visible and decisive interventions in the recapitalisation of
the taxi industry and the Eastern Cape is leading nationally, as more than 2
000 taxi vehicles have been scrapped since December 2006.
Road infrastructure improvement
In Mbizana Local Municipality, we have got a project called Area Wide
Routine Maintanance (AWRM). This project is for the maintenance of all
proclaimed roads in this local municipality for a period starting from January
2006 to January 2008. Budget allocated for year 2007/08 is R14 400 000,00 plus
R4 500 000,00 variation order for DR08121 (Xholobeni).
Summary of projects
List of roads and activities to be done by area wide road maintenance in the
year 2007 to 2007 as prioritised by the project steering committee:
Road number: DR08438
Length in kilometre (km): 15,2
Activity: Regravelling
Location: Makhwantini
Comments: To start soon
Road number: DR08437
Length in km: 4,92
Activity: Regravelling
Location: Ntshamathe
Comments: To start immediately after DR08438
Road number: DR08121
Length in km: 15
Activity: Regravelling
Location: Xobeni
Comments: On-going 75% complete
Road number: 08112
Length in km: 30
Activity: Wet grading
Location: Fort Donald
Comments: To continue
Road number: DR08473
Length in km: 5,72
Activity: Wet grading
Comments: To continue
Road number: DR08005 (R61)
Length in km: 158
Activity: Grass cutting
Location: Top Port Edward
Comments: Winter less cutting
Road number: DR08005 (R61)
Activity: Pothole patching
Location: To Port Edward
Comments: In process
Road number: DR08111
Length in km: 18,7
Activity: Wet grading
Location: Mpeni Comm
Comments: To continue
Road number: DR08120
Length in km: 10
Activity: Pipe cleaning
Location: Dutyini
Comments: To continue
Road number: DR08250
Length in km: 4,3
Activity: Structure repairs: water crossings
Location: Envise
Comments: To continue
Road number: DR08020
Length in km: 16,68
Activity: Dry balding
Location: To harding
Comments: To continue
Road number: DR08117
Length in km: 12,7
Activity: Dry blading
Location: Greenville Hospital
Comments: To continue
Road number: DR08116
Length in km: 43
Activity: Wet grading
Location: Mngungu
Comments: To continue
Road number: DR08119
Length in km: 8,2
Activity: Wet grading
Location: Madiba
Comments: To continue
Road number: DR08120
Length in km: 30,85
Activity: Wet grading
Location: Hollycross Hospital
Comments: To continue
Road number: DR08120
Length in km: 8,9
Activity: Dry grading
Comments: To continue
Other projects by nation Department of Roads and Transport
Name of the project: Presidential intervention
Delivery target: Regravelling of DR08112 and DR08113
Date: Anticipated completion date end July 2007
Budget 2006/07: R5 000 000,00
Location: From R61 to Nkantolo
Comments: 97% finished
Name of the project: Sanral
Delivery target: Surfacing of access roads
Date: 19 February 2007 to 23 July 2007
Budget 2006/7: R5 038 900,93
Location: To garden of remembrance and ancestral home
Comments: 85% completed
We have spent R1 million on the regravelling of the road to the local
Further Education and Training (FET) College, which will be hosting the
People's Assembly next week.
Furthermore, through the department's Sakha Isizwe Community-Based
Transportation Programme, we will employ local people as rangers on horse back
to guard against stray animals along the R61 and other local routes. R3 000
will be paid to each person, including the hiring of his horse.
Road Traffic Safety Intervention
As from this month, provincial and municipal traffic officers, and South
African Police Service (SAPS) will work together in monitoring the movement of
vehicles on the R61 and the town of Mbizana. The Stray Animal Truck will be
deployed in this area to confiscate all stray animals found on the road.
Our road safety officers will run a series of workshops in the entire
Mbizana area until October 2007 to raise awareness with a particular focus on
school children and communities that reside along R61.
We have already started to put road signs on the R61 from Port Saint Johns
to Port Edward.
In an effort to deal with unroadworthy vehicles in this area, the department
has allocated R8 million for the building of a vehicle testing station.
Ladies and gentlemen, the remaining task for the Mbizana Municipality and
local leaders is to revive the local Transport Forum to ensure that all
transportation issues are discussed at relevant platforms with relevant
people.
In conclusion, I would like to once more express our sincere condolences and
assure the Mbizana community that government will do everything it can to
ensure that tragic incidents of this nature do not occur again.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Safety, Liaison, Roads and transport, Eastern Cape
Provincial Government
15 September 2007
