Honourable Minister and Deputy Minister of Transport
Honourable MECs
Honourable members of the NCOP
Government officials
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
This debate takes place a few days after a historic agreement was concluded between government, the bus and taxi industries in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, which marked a turning point in the provision of public transport services to our people.
Taxi operations, as we know it, will be phased out, because they become part of an integrated public transport system, which will be operated on specific timetables and will make use of a variety of vehicle sizes from articulated buses, standard buses to minibuses as part of the ANC led government's efforts to provide a safe, reliable and affordable public transport system.
On behalf of the Eastern Cape provincial government, I would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation for the DORA allocation of R148 million for Algoa Bus Company from the national Department of Transport.
I would like to appeal to the honourable minister to seriously consider the extension of this funding to rural bus passenger services, because in provinces like the Eastern Cape that is where the majority of our people, who really need this service, reside.
Already, on the other side, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) is currently implementing a coach refurbishment programme to improve its rolling stock fleet in the Eastern Cape. A total of 17 coaches have been targeted for refurbishment. 10 coaches will be destined for the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro to be used during the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup. Special train services will be made available between Uitenhage and Port Elizabeth on match days. Renovations at North End station, which is closer to the new stadium, have been completed.
Honourable chairperson, we have successfully implemented the national Department of Transport's special regulations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup (from the National Land Transport Act 5 of 2009). Public transport operators were advised to visit our district offices of the Department of Transport to apply for the special operating licences for this event.
Through our provincial 2010 transport master plan, we are committed to:
- reduce delays through traffic control
- improve road conditions and promote alternative routes
- promote and facilitate the use of public transport
- improve safety of all commuters.
Through our Blue Skyway aviation strategy, we have been able to commence the first phase of the upgrade of the Mthatha Airport in order to ensure that this airport adds value to local economic development and improves access to the wild coast, which is an internationally renowned tourism destination. This upgrade will further enable the airport to receive more flights, including evening flights. These developments have prompted Airlink to introduce a flight service on the route between Port Elizabeth and Mthatha on Fridays as from 26 February 2010.
This means that three of our airports (i.e. East London, Mthatha and Port Elizabeth) are now ready to contribute to the provincial growth and development plan and our 2010 FIFA World Cup plans. The remaining challenge is to make sure that all four airports, including Bhisho Airport, complement each other. Our main intention is to have an airline between Cape Town and Mthatha via Bhisho.
An important goal is to link Port Elizabeth to Mthatha via Bhisho with the service geared for faster movement between these three areas. Port Alfred based 43 Air School continues to train student pilots at the Bhisho Airport and we are now challenged to build more accommodation complexes for this airport. Honourable chairperson, it is gratifying to bring to the attention of this house that this airport is fast becoming the top training airport for pilots in Africa.
Rural development through transportation services
The award winning Kei Rail project continues to inspire our efforts of "Moving Back to Rail". Due to our high safety standards, the department has been granted a railway safety permit by the railway safety regulator for three years from 2009 to 2012.
Today, we are running daily service between AmaBhele and Mthatha with an average of 12 000 passengers per month. In the last financial year, this project has already created 370 employment opportunities on the activities such as track maintenance, train operations, train traffic management and other general maintenance of coaches and station buildings.
In an effort to improve the mobility and accessibility of our communities in the eastern part of our province, we have allocated R23.675 million for Africa's best 350 operations. It is worth noting that this allocation is insufficient considering the challenge of access to public transport by our rural communities, especially when they want to access government services like hospitals, clinics, schools and pension points.
This year, we expect 24 new buses to commence operations in Butterworth and 15 additional buses to operate in the Lusikisiki area. We have allocated R39.209 million for Mayibuye Transport Corporation and its operations are 90 percent rural. There is a dire need for more injection of funds into this corporation in order to enhance its capacity through the refurbishment of its fleet and to ensure that its services reach more rural communities.
Non-motorised transportation
Currently we have 18 containers that were converted into bicycle shops and distributed in all districts to service bicycles that were distributed through our Shova Kalula Bicycle project. Communities have identified suitable candidates, who were trained to become sustainable bicycle shop owners or managers.
Job creation
Through our Community Based Transportation programme, we have been able to create 21 451 work opportunities for the poorest of the poor and exceeded our target of 18 000 work opportunities. This performance puts the department in the lead nationally in jobs created through Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) in the 2009/10 financial year.
In recognition of this achievement, the department is in line to receive an amount of R17 million in terms of the EPWP incentive grant for exceeding performance targets in second and third quarter. Our community based transportation programme was recognised by the national Department of Public Works by being the recipient of the Kamoso Award for developing and implementing the best innovative project in using labour intensive methods in the entire country.
In the new financial year, because of the transfer of the roads function, we will only create 801 work opportunities in the construction of pedestrian paths (320), road rangers (210) to increase the number to 450, maintenance of junior traffic training centres (19) and maintenance of public resting places (12).
Traffic management
Honourable chairperson, it is worth noting that the Eastern Cape was the first province to establish the provincial Road Safety Council, which is a structure that seeks to make road safety everybody's responsibility. This year we are going to ensure that 507 500 children and 7 829 adults are reached through road safety education.
With the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup around the corner, we have increased the number of our provincial traffic officers to 719 and they include a 187 member roving special operations task team that will be specifically focusing on the tournament traffic law enforcement operations. In partnership with the South African Breweries (SAB), we are going to launch the Eastern Cape's first Alcohol Testing Centre in Port Elizabeth shortly before the start of the tournament.
These traffic officers will be working together with their counterparts from municipalities and the South African Police Service (SAPS), especially in the public viewing areas with the assistance of volunteers, who will help in giving directions to motorists.
New road signs have been erected on R62, R63, R102, R67, R72 and R75. In addition, temporary signs with the tournament logo will be erected again at the end of May 2010. Additional special 2010 signage will be manufactured and erected for the other public viewing areas for June 2010. This will be supplemented by billboards with road safety and crime awareness messages.
In conclusion, I would like to reassure everybody that while challenges of budget may continue to exist, we are ready to build a lasting legacy that will be enjoyed by many generations to come. Once more, I would like to appeal to the national Department of Transport, in the spirit of rural development, to seriously consider the subsidisation of our rural public transportation system.
I thank you.
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