Transport Mr Jeff Radebe, MP Ackerville Stadium, Witbank
23 March 2009
Thank you programme director
Allow me to acknowledge the following people:
MEC for Roads and Transport in Mpumalanga Province, Comrade Jackson
Mthembu
Mayor of Emalahleni Municipality and councillors present
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Road Traffic Management Corporation,
Mr Ranthoko Rakgoale
Representatives of transport agencies and entities, the taxi and bus
industry
Senior officials from national, provincial and local governments
Distinguished members of the media
Invited guests
Ladies and gentlemen
It is indeed an honour to be here today. This day presents us with an
opportunity re-emphasise the message of road safety ahead of schools closing on
26 March and the big rush during the Easter weekend. Our Arrive Alive campaign
continues to raise a huge interest in the public and media, largely because
there is unnecessary loss of human life during this short period. Easter is a
holy and synonymous with many religious activities.
As the African National Congress (ANC) government we have made road safety a
priority. We have transformed what started as the short term implementation
plan â commonly known then as 'STIP' culminating into what today is the Arrive
Alive Campaign. A campaign premised on saving lives through promotion of
responsible road use. Today, we can confirm that we mean business when we say
in no uncertain terms that we cannot afford to continue to lose over 40 lives
and experience 140 serious injuries every day. Not only is the pain and
suffering immeasurable for victims and their families, but the cost to the
fiscus and the economy is around R56 billion.
Every year, we witness a tragedy of unequalled size. We all know it. We need
more sense of urgency as nobody benefits from this situation. The results are
so horrific because of a number of reasons, for instance, it may be as a result
of just carelessness, misjudgement of traffic or not following traffic rules,
and alcohol use, etc.
This government has fundamentally shaken the foundations of how roads safety
should be approached. We have developed innovative measures and setup the
necessary institutional mechanisms. Today I am proud to say we are leaving a
legacy. A legacy that will stand us in good stead during the Confederations Cup
in June this year and 2010 FIFA World Cup. And of course the measures we are
putting in place we want them to be felt beyond the hosting of these important
events.
The Road Safety Strategy has achieved some success, in that the deaths per
100 million vehicle kilometres travelled have dropped in the past year
particularly during the festive season. This was an accurate measure as the
growth in the economy has led to an increase in road usage. As you we know
increased economic growth and discretionary income are generally associated
with higher levels of road trauma due to increased road travel, including more
travel during high-risk periods in the 24 hour cycle. The reductions were
partly due to the benefits of the government's Road Safety Strategy.
What we wish to emphasise is the fact that each and every death on our roads
is one too many, and that each and every death or serious injury is a tragedy
for the individuals, the families and communities and for the nation.
We must continue to strive to increase respect for human life, and treat
road carnage with the seriousness it deserves. More than 90 percent of deaths
on the roads follow a traffic violation. This is real crime, and communities
and individuals must take responsibility for their behaviour and the behaviour
of their families and friends in order for us to have a successful reduction in
deaths. This is not a problem for authorities to solve alone, as together we
can turn the tide. Even us as the ANC in our manifesto we are very clear that
"Working together we can do more." That will of course inform how we conduct
our affairs as government.
I am pleased to say that Arrive Alive is still going strong. Provincially,
the metros and local traffic authorities are participating in the campaign and
I trust that they will continue to do so. I would like to appeal to enforcement
officers today to please plan and undertake their law actions to address
offences taking place on our roads in a regular and effective manner. History
has shown that it is possible to make a successful contribution to the fight
against road accidents.
Traffic safety is indeed a threat to many on a daily basis. Despite that it
is encouraging to note that last year during Easter it was possible to reduce
the road death toll by 23,8 percent (55) from a total of 319 in 2007 to 243 in
2008. We should however bear in mind that the Millennium Development Goal (MDG)
of halving unnatural causes of death by 2014 will not be within reach if we do
not double our efforts to reduce the carnage by a far bigger margin.
During the years of democracy we have travelled a long route. We have had
several exciting developments that will have an influence on road traffic
management:
* The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) is now established and
already it is getting to grips through the Road Traffic Safety Management Plan
to pool powers and resources for certain aspects of road traffic management.
Through the RTMC we have formalised our collaborative actions with full
understanding that success requires businesses, community groups and
individuals to commit to safety actions. This sense of shared responsibility is
a fundamental tenet incorporated in the RTMC.
* The administrative adjudication of traffic Offences (AARTO) pilot project
which commenced in Tshwane has now been extended to the City of Johannesburg.
Many irresponsible drivers in Johannesburg have in the past few felt the wrath
of 'Nomakanjani'. The message is simply that if you are reckless and
irresponsible you will be locked in jail, for in our view you are danger to
society. Here in Mpumalanga who does not know 'Sivuth'umlilo' road safety
campaign. I am sure, Comrade Jackson, there will be fire for those who take
chances on Mpumalanga's roads, as you promise.
* The drager alcohol testing equipment can now be used at every local
authority, metro and province to overcome the scourge of drinking and road use,
which costs around 7 000 lives each year. We have reduced the alcohol limit
from 0,08 milligrams to 0,05 milligrams because we know that drinking and
driving is not in the interest of motorists.
* Through the Arrive Alive Campaign and the Road Traffic Management
Corporation we have pumped enormous resources such as patrol vehicles and law
enforcement equipment to traffic authorities. We will continue to invest in
road safety as it is necessary and required of us to act, in the interest of
the public. We have developed the Rolling Enforcement Plan to promote road
safety and compliance through a highly police presence.
* A number of reforms have been undertaken with the collation of traffic
information especially driver and vehicle information into the National Traffic
Information System (eNatTIS). This was a mammoth of a task as we had to ensure
properly consolidated information from the old apartheid segregated
systems.
Indeed as the ANC government we are proud of our achievements. We are
certain that another term in office will allow us to further accelerate the
pace of transformation for the benefit of our people. We are the only party
that truly transform your lives and improve safety. Road safety for us is not
just an issue during this period. As I stated earlier, there are daily deaths
and injuries on our roads, and the Easter period and closure of schools lend
themselves to heightened road safety campaigns.
We have mapped the routes, sharpened our strategies and oiled our battle
plan. Many national roads will be heavy with traffic causing delays and
impatience for many motorists. With Gauteng being home to 40 percent of South
Africa's vehicle population we expect many motorists to leave Gauteng to many
holiday destinations. The N1 towards Polokwane especially the road to Moria
City (Limpopo) and to Beit Bridge will be heavily policed. N3 to the coastal
city of Durban and N1 to Free State, Western and Eastern Cape will be no
exception. Here in Mpumalanga, on the N4 we expect heavy traffic especially on
stretches where there are road works towards the vicinity of border gates and
around toll gates. We count on the combined efforts of traffic authorities,
South African Police Service (SAPS), South African National Defence Force
(SANDF) and emergency services.
In terms of analysis of traffic patterns traffic volumes are expected to
start picking up on the routes during the following critical days and times on
Thursday, 9 April from about 10h00 and will stay high until about 24h00
midnight. On Friday, 10 April, traffic volumes will start increasing early in
the morning and will return back to normal after 12h00 (midday). Return traffic
will commence with worshippers from Moria City on Sunday, 12 April. All other
main routes are expected to be extremely busy throughout Monday, 13 April. We
appeal for motorists to stagger their travelling.
In conclusion let me say we are very clear about our policy choices and
priorities especially in areas where improved performance is required. We will
accelerate progress towards the targets we have in the Road Safety Strategy and
the Road Traffic Safety Management Plan, so as to apply downward pressure on
road trauma for the years to come.
There will be stronger commitment on:
* enhancing the scale of key safety initiatives and doing more of what saves
lives and reduces injuries
* raising the public profile of death and injury on the roads and understanding
of the inherent levels of risk in road transport and what more can be done to
accommodate human error and physical vulnerability
* improving community understanding of the factors affecting road trauma
and
* integrating efforts of treating death and injury on our roads as part of a
wider public health problem, not just as a transport issue.
We wish to thank all those men and women in uniform as you will spend the
upcoming holiday period working to keep us all safe. I mean enforcement
officers, emergency services and health personnel. We thank you for making this
sacrifice for the benefit of road safety.
Lastly, we better warn those who are a law unto themselves that they should
obey traffic rules or else they will face the full might of the law. We will
leave no stone unturned as we tighten the grip on lawlessness on our roads.
I am sure you will Vote correctly!
I thank you and let's all Arrive Alive!
Issued by: Department of Transport
23 March 2009
