Programme Director,
Deputy Minister of Transport, Me Sindisiwe Chikunga; Acting Premier of Mpumalanga, MEC Shongwe;
Members of the Executive Councils, MEC Ndou, Mokaba Phokwane, MEC Nhlengthwa and MEC Batlett;
Members of the Provincial Legislatures;
Your Worship the Mayors and Members of the Mayoral Committees; Distinguished representatives of local government;
Director-General of the Department of Transport; Provincial Heads of the Departments of Transport; Chairperson of the State Owned Companies;
Members of the South African Police and Traffic Police; Members of the media;
Ladies and gentlemen;
I am pleased to address you today on the launch of the 2015 October Transport Month programme.
The radical transformation of the transport sector as envisaged in the National Development Plan (NDP), is not an option but an obligation. To address massive challenges of inequality, poverty and unemployment is not an option.
In my address today, I take cognisance of the declaration by the governing party, the ANC, that the year 2015 is the Year of the Freedom Charter and Unity in Action to Advance Economic Freedom. It is the year of going the extra mile in building a united, democratic, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous South Africa.
The theme of this year's Transport Month is “Together we move South Africa Forward.”
This year the focus is on the four pillars:
- Jobs created through infrastructure and other service delivery programmes
- Major infrastructure developments and links to Local Economic Development
- Special programmes aimed at youth, women; and people living with disabilities
- Rallying all sectors of society for road safety with an opportunity to market programmes to be implemented by the Road Safety Advisory Council.
We commemorate Transport Month with the knowledge that South Africa’s road death toll remains at an unacceptable high level. Road accidents take a massive toll on society and their effects are usually devastating.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The direct user benefits of transport includes reductions in travel times and fuel consumption, increased reliability, and increased safety in the movement of people and goods. As users' transportation costs are reduced, resources are freed for other purposes.
Businesses directly benefit when goods can be shipped faster, or at lower cost. Besides the inherent value of increased mobility, individuals can benefit from increased employment options as their range of feasible commuting is expanded.
And finally, as retail and service businesses grow, employees can spend more of their additional income.
It is widely recognised that wise transportation investments and economic development are mutually reinforcing processes.
The commitment we make as a Department of Transport is to implement the National Development Plan’s key priorities on the maintenance of road infrastructure, upgrading rail infrastructure and services, as well as building and operating our public transportation.
As we reflect on the benefits of our hard labour as the ANC government, road safety remains our primal concern.
Our people have a reason to rejoice with the introduction of the RABS Bill, which provides for the establishment of a new administrator, the Road Accident Benefit Scheme Administrator (RABSA), to replace the current Road Accident Fund (RAF).
The Bill proposes a comprehensive social security safety net scheme that is not fault-based and that allows for the expanded access to much needed benefits to road users. These include the public and private transport passengers; widows, orphans and many other dependants, previously and currently excluded by virtue of fault.
This year 2015 is the halfway mark for the implementation of 2011-2020 UN Decade of Action on Road Safety. A multi-sectoral campaign to reduce road carnage by 50% of what it was in 2010.
We have committed ourselves to achieve this by implementing a 3-6-5 days road safety programme focusing on 4Es of Education, Engineering, Enforcement and Evaluation. But more has to be done.
We are in the process of finalising our Mid-term Road Safety Country report as required. We also believe that the integrity of an efficient transport system relies on sufficient safety systems to protect our people and freight. Central to this is the enhanced role of the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).
We should all acknowledge that road safety is everyone’s responsibility. To that end, we have established the National Road Safety Advisory Council that is made-up of relevant stakeholders to assist us in coming up with appropriate solutions.
I am pleased to have conducted a site inspection of the Marite Traffic Training College here in Mpumalanga earlier today. This college will not only ensure that we have the quality of traffic officers we need to reduce carnages on our roads, but will also ensure that it put Mpumalanga and South Africa at both the national and international map.
Above all, the Traffic College which will be completed in October 2016 will create the desired job opportunities. The college will have the capacity to enrol hundred and sixty (160) with the first intake anticipated in the 1st April 2016.
The implementation of the AARTO system Country-wide is one of our short term targets. The piloting of the system has been very successful in Gauteng and we are now working extremely hard to realise the implementation of the system across the Country.
The Cross-Border Road Transport Agency (CBRTA) is doing its part to balance the supply and demand for cross border road passenger transport. We are currently rolling out a Market Access Regulatory tool to determine the number of permits per route and per mode in granting cross border permits.
Railways in South Africa operated almost more than a century without overarching Policy framework that guided its development. The Department of Transport, in fulfilling the Vision of the National Development Plan 2030 of ensuring policy certainty and frameworks in critical sectors, started a process of Developing the National Rail Policy for South Africa.
This Green paper we owe it to the people of South Africa at large and the railway sector in particular to create a much needed policy dialogue that will set rail trajectory for development.
As part of the enhancement on rail services next week, I will be officially conducting a site tour of the new Gauteng Rail Nerve Centre (GNC) in Kaalfontein, Tembisa.
As government, we are steadfast than ever before to work closely with the taxi industry to facilitate their regulation and participation in the total transport value chain, for example in the fuel retail value chain, spares, assembling and manufacturing of vehicles. The Taxi Recapitalisation Programme is currently undergoing an extensive review focusing on its sustainability, affordability and the mapping out of a future integrated rollout solution.
Another element which is central to the Provinces is the issue of bus subsidies. The public transport subsidy is allocated to the Department of Transport with the actual design, the day-to-day administration and management of bus services devolved to the Provinces.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The road infrastructure remains a critical area of our transportation system and still carries the bulk of the movement of goods, services and people.
Though SANRAL, total of fourteen projects with the overall budget allocation of R400 million for the 2015/16 financial year are planned. An amount of R1.1 billion has been set aside for the upgrade of R573 Moloto Road. This is a great achievement for the people of Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo.
The aviation sector is also critical particularly in our ability to meet passenger demand and growth, which is expected to surge from the current 35 million to over 45 million passengers in the next 5 years.
Meeting this growth necessitates enormous investment in airport infrastructure and the finalisation of the National Airports Development Plan.
Operation Phakisa remains our over-arching strategy to unlock our oceans economy.
South Africa is uniquely bordered by the ocean on three sides — east, south and west. With the inclusion of Prince Edward and Marion Islands in the southern ocean, the coastline is approximately 3 924 km long. This vast ocean space is relatively unexplored in terms of its economic potential.
Operation Phakisa will enhance the enabling environment for exploration of oil and gas, resulting in an increased number of exploration wells drilled, while simultaneously maximising the value captured for South Africa. Mechanisms for achieving this include providing an enabling policy and legislative environment, promoting inclusive economic growth, addressing the skills gaps and overcoming infrastructure challenges.
In conclusion, I wish to encourage all stakeholders and the public to participate in the activities of the October Transport Month. Let us use this opportunity to look back as we plan ahead.
South Africa's future lies in being able to move people and goods faster, efficiently and in a cost effective manner.
We can only succeed in this venture if all of us work together; government across all tiers, business big and small, civil society and all formations of our people. We require more dedication, hard work, cooperation and a continued willingness to learn and to sustain delivery.
I wish to thank the Department Transport, State entities, Provincial departments, as well as municipalities for making it possible for us to develop this programme.
Special thanks to the Deputy Minister of Transport and the MECs for your continued support and assistance.
We therefore officially declare the 2015 October Transport Month open
