Program Director;
Deputy Minister of Transport: Honourable Sindisiwe Chikunga;
All MECs of Transport present;
Director-General of the Department of Transport: Mr. Pule Selepe;
CEOs of State-Owned Entities and Agencies;
Heads of Departments of Transport;
Industry players in the transport sector;
Academia and civil society;
Officials from all spheres of government;
Members of the media;
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is a great pleasure to be with you tonight in this august occasion to present the transport awards. Tonight’s ceremony gives us a chance not only to celebrate and reward excellence but also to showcase and promote transport’s most progressive and innovative individuals. The ANC led government recognises transport as a sector that is vital not only to our economy in general, but also to balanced regional development and sustainable growth. It creates jobs and generates earnings in communities throughout world, including in areas removed from centres of population and other forms of employment. It drives growth through roads, rail, airports, our ports. And as a mover and connector, transport ensures that other industries from retail to recreation get more people through their doors, spending money and generating tax revenues.
As a transport family, we are truly the heartbeat of the economy. The shortlist of nominations demonstrates the innovation and dedication that exist throughout our Team Transport. All very different, yet all with something in common - because every single one of the nominees reflects the difference that the people of this sector make. About two and half years ago, when I came into this Department, I made it clear that our transport system should be an engine of the economy, and that we needed to modernise our transport infrastructure. But also to encourage more sustainable transport networks, so that we can play a vital role in ensuring that South Africa is open for business. Let me once again remind you that transport networks are the arteries of the economy, moving people to the workplace and goods to the marketplace. Therefore, the reason the Transport Awards matter, is because transport does matter.
But let’s pause and be frank for a minute, for decades, the traditional response of apartheid regime was not so enthusiastic on transport matters. Transport was usually a favourite target for budget cuts. Well!! Not in this era, and not with the ANC led government. The transport capital investment has emerged as a major winner in budget allocations over the years - with the current year allocation to a tune of R48bn on transport right across the Country. That’s 30 times more than what the previous regime would have allocated for the transport sector. So, as we end the Transport Month Campaign tonight, we close it with reassurance that this Campaign has reaffirmed our bold and tough decisions taken on transport capital investment and expenditure.
We have prioritised projects that are getting South Africa on the path of economic prosperity. We have also contributed to deficit reduction through our commitment to invest in a balanced manner - with the determination to re-examine and re-invent the way we do our business. This has allowed us to rigorously upscale the transport network’s efficiency and value for taxpayers, a move that is slowly putting us in the fast lane of global economies and delivering hundreds of millions of rand of economic benefits. Our biggest weapon is our strong policy positions, rigorous regulatory framework and fiscal prudency. We are also looking into the future with great optimism, guided by our planning blueprint in a form of the National Transport Master Plan (NATMAP), which helps us to transform the socioeconomic landscape of our Country.
As you know, the NATMAP, which was under discussion with the stakeholders today in Birchwood, is our guide to map our transport expansion on a sustainable basis and setting out a way forward for the next 50 years. It is already helping us to put desperately-needed new capacity on our networks that has plagued our economy in the past decades. It is kick-starting what is turning out to be a new chapter in how we do our business, and we are already celebrating our own successes whilst standing on the shoulders of those who are being honoured tonight.
For instance; Our railways are amongst the biggest in Africa, if not the World over. Our passenger rail infrastructure boost a total of 3180km rail-lines with 468 stations. We are also currently rolling out the biggest capital investment of R53bn for the new passenger rolling stock. Our R40bn Gautrain rail link is also on its path to expansion from the current two links between Tshwane - Johannesburg and OR Tambo - Sandton, with three terminal stations and seven other stations linked by 80 km of rail. Plans are already afoot to expand this rail link service. Our freight rail infrastructure sits at a current 31 000 track kilometres and 22 500 route kilometres.
Transnet is also currently implementing the R300bn capital investment programme for freight rail infrastructure, which will help us improve the logistics and efficiency of the our export and import operations. Our road infrastructure network has also grown from 540 000km in 90s to a current 750 000km. We have over 153 000km of paved roads, about 453 000km of gravel roads and 140 000km of un-proclaimed roads. The SANRAL network has grown from 6 800km in 1998 to a current 21 5 400km and will soon reach a target of 34 000km. Over R250bn has been invested in our road infrastructure upgrade programme over the MTEF period. R10bn has been invested in our labour intensive construction programme, S’hamba Sonke with over 60 000 jobs created.
The RTMC continues to be a lead agency in matters of road safety. Our AARTO Act spells out how road traffic contraventions can be discouraged and how road traffic infringements are being facilitated. We are also on track with the implementation of the merit and demerit system countrywide. Various law enforcement agencies have also been hard at work to ensure that all rules of the road are obeyed and respected by all. At the heart of our road safety programmes is the 365 day road safety programme which is our anchor campaign in achieving the objectives of the UN decade of action on Road Safety.
Our current airports network infrastructure boost 1 500 airports and airfields, of which 135 are licensed with 10 being international airports. In terms of ownership, we have nine airports belonging to ACSA, nine to provincial government, 33 to SANDF, 100 to municipalities and the remaining majority as privately owned. Our National Airport Development Plan (NADP) has played a critical role in giving guidance and support both for overall network planning and the development of individual airports. ACSA has continued with its concerted infrastructure expenditure through development at all our nine Airports at a cost of over R30bn, and will continue to do so into the future. The Integrated Rapid Public Transport Networks (IRPTN) on high quality public transport networks is also well on track in 13 major cities at a cost of over R25bn to date.
We have already facilitated the procurement of over 1 000 buses in 6 cities, built over 120km of dedicated lanes and nearly 100 stations as part of upgrading our public transport networks. Our National Freight Logistics Strategy continues to be our blueprint for freight movement within the country. And it continues to play an important role of mapping-out corridors, determine regional integration, freight traffic and congestion. But most importantly, it is helping us to develop freight scenarios into the future. Our efforts are also afoot to establish the single transport economic regulator in order to address the regulatory shortcomings across the transport sector. Ladies and gentlemen, Let us not forget that all these achievements are not just about National Government and national networks. We have continued being aware of the fact that transport issues concern communities and are often local in nature.
Hence, our conscious determination to ensure that important decisions about local and provincial transport are not taken, and monitored, centrally - by the Minister, Deputy Minister the Department alone. As the ANC government, we have given local and provincial governments much greater flexibility and freedom to decide their own seven priorities, putting decision making power where it belongs - in the hands of local authorities as the coal face of our Government. So as we seek to put the economy on overdrive, we must target our investment where it matters the most; find new ways to fund our infrastructure capital expenditure, and continue relentlessly to control the costs of the transport programmes we execute. The integrated land use and transport planning also needs to be strongly considered.
The travel demand management strategy and overloading strategy must be given teeth to bite. The intermodal facilities must be achieved for us to attain an integration and seamless public transport system that we so desire. Road carnage must also be a number one priority so we can clean our roads off negligent driving. But this will not be easy. It will be a daunting challenge. But if these awards tonight are anything to go by, we can find solace in that those employed in our transport sector have the capability, the ingenuity, and the commitment to meet these challenges head on. Because as family transport, I sincerely believe we have made great progress in restoring the dignity of all our people. No matter where one has to go to in the world, they need some form of transport. That is who, and what we are honouring tonight.
All the nominees should feel very proud of themselves and urge each and everyone of them to take a bow wherever they are. In conclusion, I wish to thank you for being here tonight, at the end of what has been a hectic, but yet fulfilling transport month. To the eight nominees, having made it this far makes you all winners despite those who will be walking away with the awards. Jane Fonda once said : “You don’t learn from successes, You don’t learn from awards, You don’t learn from celebrity, You only learn from wounds and scars, Mistake and failures, And that is the truth” Indeed winning is not always a victory and Losing is not always a defeat. Let us therefore win with dignity and lose with glory. Finally, let me take this opportunity and pronounce the October Transport Month 2015 officially closed.
I thank you.
