Date: 26/05/2005
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
Title: Cele: KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport’s Annual Summit
Keynote address by Mr BH Cele, MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, at the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport’s Annual Summit, 26 - 27 May 2005
Chairperson
MECs present
Amakhosi present
Members of Provincial Parliament present
Mayors and Councillors
Heads of Department
Delegates
Members of the media
Ladies and Gentleman
It is a privilege for me as MEC for Transport to deliver the keynote address during this historical event of the 2005 Annual Summit of my department. I would like to table some concerns and challenges that we are faced with as the Department of Transport before you go to the commissions so that you have enough time to debate them and come up with recommendations and possible solutions.
Tomorrow I will then report on the performance of the Department so that you would be able to judge us whether we do keep our promises or not. I have been tasked with a mandate of ensuring that within the budget allocated to the Transport Portfolio, I maintain the ideals of “Defending the Weak”.
Who are the weak in the Transport Portfolio?
1. It is that child or teacher who cannot go to school today because the river is flooded and there is no pedestrian bridge.
2. The weak is that child, expecting woman, ailing man or woman who is dying because she/he could not reach the clinic or hospital as there are no access roads to such places.
3. The weak is that woman or man who cannot farm the land available because there are no access roads to that land.
4. The weak is that child, woman or man who is illiterate and therefore cannot access government services because the services are far removed from their communities.
5. The weak is that child, woman or man who is killed in taxi violence of rivalry between taxi associations.
6. It is that child, woman or man who is killed on the road because the driver was drunk, moving at a high speed or did not obey the rules of the road.
7. The weak is that child, woman or man who is killed on the road because the driver had no drivers licence or permit to carry passengers. 8. The weak is that child, woman or man who is killed on the road because the vehicle driven was unroadworthy or overloaded.
9. The weak is that woman who cannot hold a senior position for she is judged and discriminated against.
10. The weak is that man or woman who cannot compete fairly in the market for tenders, and jobs for his or her company has no track record to speak for itself as she/he is still finding her feet on the market.
11. The weak are the elderly who have to travel on foot, carried on wheel barrows and wagons to reach pension payout points.
12. The weak are communities in the rural areas who do not have access roads to link with each other for social cohesion and mobility.
The list is endless. The point I am making therefore is that within our portfolios it is imperative that we generate urgent appropriate responses to address the challenges alluded to above. Within the Transport Portfolio, it is evident that access, mobility, safety, affordability and prosperity are a requirement that must be fulfilled for every individual, every community of this Province if indeed we are serious about improving the quality of lives of our people thereby realising our vision “Prosperity through Mobility”.
The programme for today will consist of four commissions; each commission will be chaired by a senior official from the Department. The four commissions are:
* Expanded Public Works Programme chaired by Senior Manager Strategic Planning, Mr James Mlawu
* Public Transport Planning chaired by Senior Manager Public and Freight Transportation, Mr George Mahlalela
* Prioritisation of Road Infrastructure Projects chaired by Senior Manager Implementation, Mr Chris Hlabisa
* Road Safety and Traffic Law Enforcement chaired by both Managers of Road Safety and RTI, Ms Thoko Mabaso and Mr John Schnell respectively.
I will now give a brief overview of each of the commissions to be discussed.
EXPANDED PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME
The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) has been identified as a strategic intervention that must be designed to make a significant contribution to reducing unemployment and providing livelihoods for the poor, women, youth and people with disabilities.
On 14 February 2003, President Mbeki reiterated government’s commitment regarding the value and significance of the EPWP as a viable mechanism to bridge the gap between the first and the second economies of this country.
On the basis of the President’s Speech, the national Department of Public Works developed a conceptual Business Plan that was later approved by Cabinet in July 2003. The Business Plan of the EPWP required that all the public sector institutions prepare their EPWP plans focusing on their core business and demonstrate how they are going to increase the participation of the unemployed and the marginalised in their respective areas of jurisdiction.
KwaZulu-Natal Province is the third smallest province in South Africa and is home to 21% of the country’s population, i.e. a population of 9 426 017 (Census 2001). It occupies 92,100 square kilometres, equivalent to almost 8% of the total land area of the country. According to the 2001 Census, KwaZulu-Natal is a predominantly black province, with black people making up some 85% of its total population of 9.4 million people.
KwaZulu-Natal is relatively a rural province, with about 54% of the total population living in the rural areas, compared to 11% in Western Cape and 4% in Gauteng. The rural areas are occupied predominantly by black people, while white, coloured and Indian people live mainly in the urban areas. In 2002, it was estimated that approximately 65% of the total black population in the province lived in the rural areas.
The rural KwaZulu-Natal is characterised by demographics which reflect past policies, namely:
* Higher density areas with strewn settlements; * Populations suffering from the lack of economic opportunities;
* Workers who live in isolated rural areas facing high transport costs;
* High levels of poverty and unemployment; * Historical restrictions on entrepreneurial development and poor support.
The success of the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy will depend, to a greater extent on human capital. Education and training at all levels of society constitutes the fundamental platform from which strategies and programmes must be derived, managed and implemented. The impact of the lack of education for the majority of the provincial population is also reflected in the high unemployment levels.
The Provincial Profile Report (2003) reflects that 22% of the population in the province did not have schooling, compared to the national average of 18%. The black populations in the province constitute the majority of people with no education at all (at 97%).
Every year some 20% of school leavers will enter higher education institutions and only a small proportion of new market entrants will actually find work. The challenge for the EPWP will not just be to create new job opportunities, but to exit people from the programme better equipped and better skilled to find work outside of the EPWP.
From the above it is clear that the Province of KwaZulu-Natal has to address three main challenges, namely:
* High unemployment levels (of 42%),
* High levels of illiteracy (of 22%), and also * High levels of dependency on state grants and welfare services.
In addition, the nature of problems experienced in the province tend to have geographic and demographic dimensions, namely: rural areas are more affected than the urban areas, and women are more affected than men. It is also clear that the youth population is also at risk due to its vulnerability, given the lack of employment opportunities and the lack of skills that could enable them to be absorbed by the formal labour market in the province. These dimensions have targeting implications for the KwaZulu-Natal EPWP. The implication is that the Province of KwaZulu-Natal has to plan and design a programme that must address these challenges. The KwaZulu-Natal EPWP will address the following objectives, namely: * To enhance the ability of workers to earn an income, either through the labour market or through entrepreneurial activities. * To provide unemployed people with work experience. * To provide education, on-the-job training and skills development programmes to the workers.
The Cabinet of KwaZulu-Natal led by our Premier entrusted the co-ordination of the EPWP to my department and I assure you that I will embrace this additional challenge and the department will indeed give this programme the attention it deserves.
Clearly the co-ordination of the EPWP must succeed in creating new jobs, stimulating the small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) sector and generating new opportunities for self employment through the expansion of community livelihood opportunities.
In co-coordinating the EPWP we will encourage the notion that public facilities such as new hospitals, clinics, schools, libraries, multi-purpose community centres, agricultural land, police stations, new rural housing settlements, etc, be established within our planned road infrastructure for easy access. This will create new supply side opportunities within rural communities such as the manufacture of bricks, windows, doors, roofing, glazing, plumbing, fencing, etc.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT PLANNING
Firstly, it is important that we identify key strategic challenges facing the Department and municipalities with regard to public transport in the province.
The central challenge we have to meet can be covered in the following broad categories:
1. Relationship between the Province and municipalities with regard to transport management. This challenge involves institutional relationships, capacity challenges in municipalities and transport authorities.
2. The building and development of public transport infrastructure and other projects emanating from Integrated Transport Plans, particularly the development of bus and taxi ranks. This is important in the light of the introduction of new bigger capacity vehicles as part of the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme.
3. The upgrading of scholar transport services. We regard this as one of the most important programmes for the Department. It is our view that this problem is primarily an educational problem and therefore the Education Department must lead us.
However, the problem has a negative impact on the public transportation system and road safety. There is a huge demand on us to provide safe vehicles for scholars. The solution lies in a joint effort within the education authorities to formulate a comprehensive solution.
The solution might require the following interventions:
a) A specific and dedicated permit system.
b) Dedicated funding in a form of subsidy, etc.
c) The employment of non-motorised transport such as bicycles, etc.
4. Provincial Freight System
The challenges facing us as a province is mainly the following:
A. Revitalisation of rail lines in order to reduce the use of roads by truckers and for rural development. There are discussions going on with Spoornet to push forward the strategy we have proposed as a province.
B. To consolidate and develop the provincial freight logistics system, which will link us with Johannesburg, the two ports and the major rail and road corridors of the province. Such a system will unlock the economic potential of most of our towns and cities. The role of all stakeholders must be clearly defined within a framework of a shared vision.
In line with ensuring a safe, affordable and sustainable public transport system the Department has successfully developed a certified Public Transport Bill which has been approved by Cabinet to proceed to parliamentary processes. This Bill is the first of its kind in the country that will ensure the integration of transport modes and will further put a brake to the existing instability within the public transport system.
There has been significant change in transport policy since the beginning of the new dispensation which could be traced back to the following important documents:
* The South African Constitution Act 108 of 1996 * Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP);
* National Transport White Paper of 1996; and * National Land Transport Transition Act (NLTTA), 22 of 2000.
The function of transport planning has been devolved to the lowest competent level of government to ensure efficient service delivery. The importance of developing public transport plans have clearly emerged in the above mentioned documents. The Department has chosen a planning approach as opposed to a data driven approach suggested by National Department of Transport guidelines and further chose an approach of preparing Public Transport Plans (PTP), which will incorporate Operating Licence Strategy (OLS) and Rationalisation Plan (Rat Plan) to minimise cost of preparing legislated plans.
District municipalities have recently found themselves responsible for producing legislated transport plans that some were not previously responsible for. Since no municipalities outside the core cities had any experience in public transport planning there was a need for extensive consultation and capacity development of the municipalities.
The provincial Department of Transport is committed to full consultation and public participation which ensures sustainable, effective and efficient transport planning. The Department has successfully supported planning authorities in establishing Public Transport Planning (PTP) Forums. The PTP Forums are made of communities, consultants, operators, municipal and provincial officials. Six district municipalities have established PTP Forums and four are in the process of establishing them.
As a result, the provincial Department of Transport assisted by University of Pretoria, facilitated a one-week workshop dealing with capacity building for transport planning officials at municipal and provincial government levels. The workshop was held from 7 to 11 June 2004. All district municipalities were invited to the workshop.
Three municipalities in the Province have completed their Public Transport Plans in full co-operation with the Department. The rest of the municipalities will complete theirs by the end of December 2005. This will position us as the leading Department in transport planning in South Africa.
These transport plans will enable us to re- align taxi and bus routes accordingly and ensure that licences from the Board are driven by commuter needs rather than operators. We will now focus on intensive corridor design in selected areas and modes. The following corridors have been identified for intensive design by the Province.
Edendale Corridor (Pietermaritzburg)
A route design of the corridor has been initiated, which will be completed by the end of December 2005. This corridor is important to support the city as the capital of the Province. An efficient and affordable public transport system is crucial for the smooth running of the city.
Taxi Recapitalisation Corridors
Three ‘pilot’ corridors have been identified for the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme in the Province. The identified corridors are Inanda, Ntuzuma, KwaMashu (INK) Corridor, Ladysmith and Nongoma. A detailed route management model will be developed to implement the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme. These designs will also be completed in December 2005.
2010 Corridors-Intercity
Corridors have been identified, which will exploit the opportunities associated with the 2010 Soccer World Cup. The corridors identified are the following.
* Pietermaritzburg – Durban
* Ladysmith – Durban
* Empangeni – Durban
* Port Shepstone – Durban.
The design of such corridors will be completed by the end of December 2005.
PRIORITISATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
Our mandated development goal is to construct and maintain a balanced road network that meets the mobility needs of all KwaZulu-Natal’s citizens and which supports our national and provincial growth and development objectives.
Essentially this means that:
* We must plan for the cost efficient and cost effective movement of people and freight, which utilise our provincial road network and link into the national transport corridors.
* We must direct attention specifically to those road infrastructure developments that will stimulate the growth and development of our second economy and promote greater integration of the province through the provision of transport infrastructure and transport related services.
* We must contribute to the provincial and national priority of maximising job creation, promoting black economic empowerment and contribute towards poverty alleviation.
* We must put more effort towards providing rural access to those who were previously denied such opportunities.
The key challenges that road infrastructure faces this year are the following:
1. Shortfall in Road Infrastructure Budget The Department’s road infrastructure budget allocation of R1,655 billon for 2005/06 is insufficient to meet its developmental goals and outcomes. The Department estimates the shortfall to be approximately R1,1 billion over a 10-year period. The Department requires additional funding to address the network backlog which consists of:
* Securing a minimal equity road network; and * Restoring the network to its true asset value by increasing the level of maintenance expenditure.
2. Integrated road network and transport systems planning across spheres of government and modes of transport.
3. Repair of recent flood damage roads and bridges to the amount of R256,674 million which might compromise other road maintenance programmes unless an additional budget is allocated.
4. The construction of rural pedestrian bridges to provide access to essential community facilities. 5. Construction of intercity corridors to exploit the opportunity associated with the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
6. To normalise and democratise the construction industry in the Province.
7. To create access to community facilities like clinics, schools, police stations, heritage sites and areas of high agricultural potential.
8. The increased cost of road construction and maintenance due to difficult terrain and topography.
9. The classification of the Provincial Road Network into Provincial, District and Local Roads. 10. Road Safety Engineering focusing on:
* Road signage
* Line marking
* Road studs
* Guardrails, etc.
While district and local municipalities rely mainly on their Integrated Development Plans (IDPs), we as a Department have created provisions for their participation in our planning of implementation of roads projects through the Rural Road Transportation Forums (RRTFs). The public are not concerned about which sphere of government we are, but whether we are delivering services to them.
ROAD SAFETY AND TRAFFIC LAW ENFORCEMENT
Our mandated development goal is to create a safe road environment through the annual reduction of road crashes. The main services rendered by the programme include:
* Road traffic enforcement
* Community participation
* Road safety education
* Funding of the implementation of high impact low cost remedial measures.
On 13 December 2004 the Department of Transport launched the new slogan, which is “From Zero Tolerance to 100% Compliance”. This is an extension of the original slogan “Zero Tolerance KwaZulu-Natal”. The intent of the new slogan is to ensure that when the rules of the road are not obeyed, our law enforcement agencies act decisively. It is a slogan that says as government we have the capacity to enforce our laws.
The slogan “From Zero Tolerance to 100% compliance” is relevant because for more than a decade we have championed the view that, for the most part, road collisions are due to human error and could have been avoided. It is thus befitting that government ensures that all road users comply fully with the law as they use our roads. Our roads cannot be reduced to playing fields for non complying individuals.
The key challenges facing road safety and law enforcement this year are the following:
* To reduce serious and disabling injuries
* To reduce the number of crashes
* To promote road safety generally
* To meet the developmental needs of the people
* To ensure synergy between the various disciplines and coordinate efforts in
enforcement, education, engineering and evaluation.
The following key programmes have been initiated by the Department to address these challenges:
1. Pedestrians
Statistics indicate that pedestrians account for the largest number of road deaths on South African roads. Various pedestrian awareness programmes have been implemented to reduce the number of pedestrian fatalities.
2. School Driver Education Programme (SDEP)
The SDEP Programme is a pilot Road Safety Driver Development Programme that is aimed at assisting high school learners to obtain driver licences according to the K53 method of instruction.
3. Community Outreach – Interfaith Road Safety Awareness Programme
The Department believes that religion can play an important role by supporting and spreading the Road Safety message.
4. Scholar Patrol Programme
The scholar patrol programme targets learners at the most vulnerable age when crossing the busy street to get to and from school.
5. Participatory Education Techniques (PET)
This project targets high school learners. All schools are invited to identify road safety problems in their communities that they are willing to do research on.
6. Omela eKhaya (Get thirsty at home)
This project is aimed at patrons of taverns to create an awareness of the problems caused by drinking and driving, as well as drinking and walking.
7. Community Road Safety Councils (CRSCs)
The CRSCs increase the mass participation by the community and are the link between the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport and the community.
8. Law Enforcement Activities
The following law enforcement activities are targeted by the Road Traffic Inspectorate as they have the most serious impact on Road Safety and the Road Infrastructure:
* Speeding
* Unroadworthy vehicles
* Drunk driving
* Bad driver behaviour
* Overloading
* Fraudulent drivers licences.
The new thinking in road safety suggests that government involvement in promoting road safety should go beyond traffic regulation and enforcement and adopt a people cantered approach that deals with accident prevention and post accident support in a holistic manner. It is thus becoming increasingly clear that traffic management and road safety in South Africa must adopt new strategies that resonate with people cantered development principles to meet the challenges of our growing and changing economy. This will require a fundamental shift from awareness campaigns towards a growing emphasis on community participation in planning, facilitating and implementing road safety.
CONCLUSION
The fundamental objective of my department is to promote a sustainable, safe, cost efficient and cost effective movement of people and goods throughout our province and to ensure that our transport system responds to the different needs of our first and second economies.
To this end, we need to accept that, for the majority of our citizens, transport mobility is a basic need and budget accordingly. Pedestrian bridges, access roads and roads for rural development are a priority that will drastically begin to address the second economy dilemma that still prevails in KwaZulu-Natal and in this country as a whole,
In conclusion Chairperson, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you as delegates, especially Amakhosi and mayors because to develop this province we need the participation of all of us including you. We all constitute the government of the day i.e. national, provincial and local levels. If one link is missing, we are not going to succeed. Chairperson, I wish you all the best and very successful deliberations in the commissions.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
26 May 2005
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
Title: Cele: KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport’s Annual Summit
Keynote address by Mr BH Cele, MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, at the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport’s Annual Summit, 26 - 27 May 2005
Chairperson
MECs present
Amakhosi present
Members of Provincial Parliament present
Mayors and Councillors
Heads of Department
Delegates
Members of the media
Ladies and Gentleman
It is a privilege for me as MEC for Transport to deliver the keynote address during this historical event of the 2005 Annual Summit of my department. I would like to table some concerns and challenges that we are faced with as the Department of Transport before you go to the commissions so that you have enough time to debate them and come up with recommendations and possible solutions.
Tomorrow I will then report on the performance of the Department so that you would be able to judge us whether we do keep our promises or not. I have been tasked with a mandate of ensuring that within the budget allocated to the Transport Portfolio, I maintain the ideals of “Defending the Weak”.
Who are the weak in the Transport Portfolio?
1. It is that child or teacher who cannot go to school today because the river is flooded and there is no pedestrian bridge.
2. The weak is that child, expecting woman, ailing man or woman who is dying because she/he could not reach the clinic or hospital as there are no access roads to such places.
3. The weak is that woman or man who cannot farm the land available because there are no access roads to that land.
4. The weak is that child, woman or man who is illiterate and therefore cannot access government services because the services are far removed from their communities.
5. The weak is that child, woman or man who is killed in taxi violence of rivalry between taxi associations.
6. It is that child, woman or man who is killed on the road because the driver was drunk, moving at a high speed or did not obey the rules of the road.
7. The weak is that child, woman or man who is killed on the road because the driver had no drivers licence or permit to carry passengers. 8. The weak is that child, woman or man who is killed on the road because the vehicle driven was unroadworthy or overloaded.
9. The weak is that woman who cannot hold a senior position for she is judged and discriminated against.
10. The weak is that man or woman who cannot compete fairly in the market for tenders, and jobs for his or her company has no track record to speak for itself as she/he is still finding her feet on the market.
11. The weak are the elderly who have to travel on foot, carried on wheel barrows and wagons to reach pension payout points.
12. The weak are communities in the rural areas who do not have access roads to link with each other for social cohesion and mobility.
The list is endless. The point I am making therefore is that within our portfolios it is imperative that we generate urgent appropriate responses to address the challenges alluded to above. Within the Transport Portfolio, it is evident that access, mobility, safety, affordability and prosperity are a requirement that must be fulfilled for every individual, every community of this Province if indeed we are serious about improving the quality of lives of our people thereby realising our vision “Prosperity through Mobility”.
The programme for today will consist of four commissions; each commission will be chaired by a senior official from the Department. The four commissions are:
* Expanded Public Works Programme chaired by Senior Manager Strategic Planning, Mr James Mlawu
* Public Transport Planning chaired by Senior Manager Public and Freight Transportation, Mr George Mahlalela
* Prioritisation of Road Infrastructure Projects chaired by Senior Manager Implementation, Mr Chris Hlabisa
* Road Safety and Traffic Law Enforcement chaired by both Managers of Road Safety and RTI, Ms Thoko Mabaso and Mr John Schnell respectively.
I will now give a brief overview of each of the commissions to be discussed.
EXPANDED PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME
The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) has been identified as a strategic intervention that must be designed to make a significant contribution to reducing unemployment and providing livelihoods for the poor, women, youth and people with disabilities.
On 14 February 2003, President Mbeki reiterated government’s commitment regarding the value and significance of the EPWP as a viable mechanism to bridge the gap between the first and the second economies of this country.
On the basis of the President’s Speech, the national Department of Public Works developed a conceptual Business Plan that was later approved by Cabinet in July 2003. The Business Plan of the EPWP required that all the public sector institutions prepare their EPWP plans focusing on their core business and demonstrate how they are going to increase the participation of the unemployed and the marginalised in their respective areas of jurisdiction.
KwaZulu-Natal Province is the third smallest province in South Africa and is home to 21% of the country’s population, i.e. a population of 9 426 017 (Census 2001). It occupies 92,100 square kilometres, equivalent to almost 8% of the total land area of the country. According to the 2001 Census, KwaZulu-Natal is a predominantly black province, with black people making up some 85% of its total population of 9.4 million people.
KwaZulu-Natal is relatively a rural province, with about 54% of the total population living in the rural areas, compared to 11% in Western Cape and 4% in Gauteng. The rural areas are occupied predominantly by black people, while white, coloured and Indian people live mainly in the urban areas. In 2002, it was estimated that approximately 65% of the total black population in the province lived in the rural areas.
The rural KwaZulu-Natal is characterised by demographics which reflect past policies, namely:
* Higher density areas with strewn settlements; * Populations suffering from the lack of economic opportunities;
* Workers who live in isolated rural areas facing high transport costs;
* High levels of poverty and unemployment; * Historical restrictions on entrepreneurial development and poor support.
The success of the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy will depend, to a greater extent on human capital. Education and training at all levels of society constitutes the fundamental platform from which strategies and programmes must be derived, managed and implemented. The impact of the lack of education for the majority of the provincial population is also reflected in the high unemployment levels.
The Provincial Profile Report (2003) reflects that 22% of the population in the province did not have schooling, compared to the national average of 18%. The black populations in the province constitute the majority of people with no education at all (at 97%).
Every year some 20% of school leavers will enter higher education institutions and only a small proportion of new market entrants will actually find work. The challenge for the EPWP will not just be to create new job opportunities, but to exit people from the programme better equipped and better skilled to find work outside of the EPWP.
From the above it is clear that the Province of KwaZulu-Natal has to address three main challenges, namely:
* High unemployment levels (of 42%),
* High levels of illiteracy (of 22%), and also * High levels of dependency on state grants and welfare services.
In addition, the nature of problems experienced in the province tend to have geographic and demographic dimensions, namely: rural areas are more affected than the urban areas, and women are more affected than men. It is also clear that the youth population is also at risk due to its vulnerability, given the lack of employment opportunities and the lack of skills that could enable them to be absorbed by the formal labour market in the province. These dimensions have targeting implications for the KwaZulu-Natal EPWP. The implication is that the Province of KwaZulu-Natal has to plan and design a programme that must address these challenges. The KwaZulu-Natal EPWP will address the following objectives, namely: * To enhance the ability of workers to earn an income, either through the labour market or through entrepreneurial activities. * To provide unemployed people with work experience. * To provide education, on-the-job training and skills development programmes to the workers.
The Cabinet of KwaZulu-Natal led by our Premier entrusted the co-ordination of the EPWP to my department and I assure you that I will embrace this additional challenge and the department will indeed give this programme the attention it deserves.
Clearly the co-ordination of the EPWP must succeed in creating new jobs, stimulating the small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) sector and generating new opportunities for self employment through the expansion of community livelihood opportunities.
In co-coordinating the EPWP we will encourage the notion that public facilities such as new hospitals, clinics, schools, libraries, multi-purpose community centres, agricultural land, police stations, new rural housing settlements, etc, be established within our planned road infrastructure for easy access. This will create new supply side opportunities within rural communities such as the manufacture of bricks, windows, doors, roofing, glazing, plumbing, fencing, etc.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT PLANNING
Firstly, it is important that we identify key strategic challenges facing the Department and municipalities with regard to public transport in the province.
The central challenge we have to meet can be covered in the following broad categories:
1. Relationship between the Province and municipalities with regard to transport management. This challenge involves institutional relationships, capacity challenges in municipalities and transport authorities.
2. The building and development of public transport infrastructure and other projects emanating from Integrated Transport Plans, particularly the development of bus and taxi ranks. This is important in the light of the introduction of new bigger capacity vehicles as part of the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme.
3. The upgrading of scholar transport services. We regard this as one of the most important programmes for the Department. It is our view that this problem is primarily an educational problem and therefore the Education Department must lead us.
However, the problem has a negative impact on the public transportation system and road safety. There is a huge demand on us to provide safe vehicles for scholars. The solution lies in a joint effort within the education authorities to formulate a comprehensive solution.
The solution might require the following interventions:
a) A specific and dedicated permit system.
b) Dedicated funding in a form of subsidy, etc.
c) The employment of non-motorised transport such as bicycles, etc.
4. Provincial Freight System
The challenges facing us as a province is mainly the following:
A. Revitalisation of rail lines in order to reduce the use of roads by truckers and for rural development. There are discussions going on with Spoornet to push forward the strategy we have proposed as a province.
B. To consolidate and develop the provincial freight logistics system, which will link us with Johannesburg, the two ports and the major rail and road corridors of the province. Such a system will unlock the economic potential of most of our towns and cities. The role of all stakeholders must be clearly defined within a framework of a shared vision.
In line with ensuring a safe, affordable and sustainable public transport system the Department has successfully developed a certified Public Transport Bill which has been approved by Cabinet to proceed to parliamentary processes. This Bill is the first of its kind in the country that will ensure the integration of transport modes and will further put a brake to the existing instability within the public transport system.
There has been significant change in transport policy since the beginning of the new dispensation which could be traced back to the following important documents:
* The South African Constitution Act 108 of 1996 * Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP);
* National Transport White Paper of 1996; and * National Land Transport Transition Act (NLTTA), 22 of 2000.
The function of transport planning has been devolved to the lowest competent level of government to ensure efficient service delivery. The importance of developing public transport plans have clearly emerged in the above mentioned documents. The Department has chosen a planning approach as opposed to a data driven approach suggested by National Department of Transport guidelines and further chose an approach of preparing Public Transport Plans (PTP), which will incorporate Operating Licence Strategy (OLS) and Rationalisation Plan (Rat Plan) to minimise cost of preparing legislated plans.
District municipalities have recently found themselves responsible for producing legislated transport plans that some were not previously responsible for. Since no municipalities outside the core cities had any experience in public transport planning there was a need for extensive consultation and capacity development of the municipalities.
The provincial Department of Transport is committed to full consultation and public participation which ensures sustainable, effective and efficient transport planning. The Department has successfully supported planning authorities in establishing Public Transport Planning (PTP) Forums. The PTP Forums are made of communities, consultants, operators, municipal and provincial officials. Six district municipalities have established PTP Forums and four are in the process of establishing them.
As a result, the provincial Department of Transport assisted by University of Pretoria, facilitated a one-week workshop dealing with capacity building for transport planning officials at municipal and provincial government levels. The workshop was held from 7 to 11 June 2004. All district municipalities were invited to the workshop.
Three municipalities in the Province have completed their Public Transport Plans in full co-operation with the Department. The rest of the municipalities will complete theirs by the end of December 2005. This will position us as the leading Department in transport planning in South Africa.
These transport plans will enable us to re- align taxi and bus routes accordingly and ensure that licences from the Board are driven by commuter needs rather than operators. We will now focus on intensive corridor design in selected areas and modes. The following corridors have been identified for intensive design by the Province.
Edendale Corridor (Pietermaritzburg)
A route design of the corridor has been initiated, which will be completed by the end of December 2005. This corridor is important to support the city as the capital of the Province. An efficient and affordable public transport system is crucial for the smooth running of the city.
Taxi Recapitalisation Corridors
Three ‘pilot’ corridors have been identified for the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme in the Province. The identified corridors are Inanda, Ntuzuma, KwaMashu (INK) Corridor, Ladysmith and Nongoma. A detailed route management model will be developed to implement the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme. These designs will also be completed in December 2005.
2010 Corridors-Intercity
Corridors have been identified, which will exploit the opportunities associated with the 2010 Soccer World Cup. The corridors identified are the following.
* Pietermaritzburg – Durban
* Ladysmith – Durban
* Empangeni – Durban
* Port Shepstone – Durban.
The design of such corridors will be completed by the end of December 2005.
PRIORITISATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
Our mandated development goal is to construct and maintain a balanced road network that meets the mobility needs of all KwaZulu-Natal’s citizens and which supports our national and provincial growth and development objectives.
Essentially this means that:
* We must plan for the cost efficient and cost effective movement of people and freight, which utilise our provincial road network and link into the national transport corridors.
* We must direct attention specifically to those road infrastructure developments that will stimulate the growth and development of our second economy and promote greater integration of the province through the provision of transport infrastructure and transport related services.
* We must contribute to the provincial and national priority of maximising job creation, promoting black economic empowerment and contribute towards poverty alleviation.
* We must put more effort towards providing rural access to those who were previously denied such opportunities.
The key challenges that road infrastructure faces this year are the following:
1. Shortfall in Road Infrastructure Budget The Department’s road infrastructure budget allocation of R1,655 billon for 2005/06 is insufficient to meet its developmental goals and outcomes. The Department estimates the shortfall to be approximately R1,1 billion over a 10-year period. The Department requires additional funding to address the network backlog which consists of:
* Securing a minimal equity road network; and * Restoring the network to its true asset value by increasing the level of maintenance expenditure.
2. Integrated road network and transport systems planning across spheres of government and modes of transport.
3. Repair of recent flood damage roads and bridges to the amount of R256,674 million which might compromise other road maintenance programmes unless an additional budget is allocated.
4. The construction of rural pedestrian bridges to provide access to essential community facilities. 5. Construction of intercity corridors to exploit the opportunity associated with the 2010 Soccer World Cup.
6. To normalise and democratise the construction industry in the Province.
7. To create access to community facilities like clinics, schools, police stations, heritage sites and areas of high agricultural potential.
8. The increased cost of road construction and maintenance due to difficult terrain and topography.
9. The classification of the Provincial Road Network into Provincial, District and Local Roads. 10. Road Safety Engineering focusing on:
* Road signage
* Line marking
* Road studs
* Guardrails, etc.
While district and local municipalities rely mainly on their Integrated Development Plans (IDPs), we as a Department have created provisions for their participation in our planning of implementation of roads projects through the Rural Road Transportation Forums (RRTFs). The public are not concerned about which sphere of government we are, but whether we are delivering services to them.
ROAD SAFETY AND TRAFFIC LAW ENFORCEMENT
Our mandated development goal is to create a safe road environment through the annual reduction of road crashes. The main services rendered by the programme include:
* Road traffic enforcement
* Community participation
* Road safety education
* Funding of the implementation of high impact low cost remedial measures.
On 13 December 2004 the Department of Transport launched the new slogan, which is “From Zero Tolerance to 100% Compliance”. This is an extension of the original slogan “Zero Tolerance KwaZulu-Natal”. The intent of the new slogan is to ensure that when the rules of the road are not obeyed, our law enforcement agencies act decisively. It is a slogan that says as government we have the capacity to enforce our laws.
The slogan “From Zero Tolerance to 100% compliance” is relevant because for more than a decade we have championed the view that, for the most part, road collisions are due to human error and could have been avoided. It is thus befitting that government ensures that all road users comply fully with the law as they use our roads. Our roads cannot be reduced to playing fields for non complying individuals.
The key challenges facing road safety and law enforcement this year are the following:
* To reduce serious and disabling injuries
* To reduce the number of crashes
* To promote road safety generally
* To meet the developmental needs of the people
* To ensure synergy between the various disciplines and coordinate efforts in
enforcement, education, engineering and evaluation.
The following key programmes have been initiated by the Department to address these challenges:
1. Pedestrians
Statistics indicate that pedestrians account for the largest number of road deaths on South African roads. Various pedestrian awareness programmes have been implemented to reduce the number of pedestrian fatalities.
2. School Driver Education Programme (SDEP)
The SDEP Programme is a pilot Road Safety Driver Development Programme that is aimed at assisting high school learners to obtain driver licences according to the K53 method of instruction.
3. Community Outreach – Interfaith Road Safety Awareness Programme
The Department believes that religion can play an important role by supporting and spreading the Road Safety message.
4. Scholar Patrol Programme
The scholar patrol programme targets learners at the most vulnerable age when crossing the busy street to get to and from school.
5. Participatory Education Techniques (PET)
This project targets high school learners. All schools are invited to identify road safety problems in their communities that they are willing to do research on.
6. Omela eKhaya (Get thirsty at home)
This project is aimed at patrons of taverns to create an awareness of the problems caused by drinking and driving, as well as drinking and walking.
7. Community Road Safety Councils (CRSCs)
The CRSCs increase the mass participation by the community and are the link between the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport and the community.
8. Law Enforcement Activities
The following law enforcement activities are targeted by the Road Traffic Inspectorate as they have the most serious impact on Road Safety and the Road Infrastructure:
* Speeding
* Unroadworthy vehicles
* Drunk driving
* Bad driver behaviour
* Overloading
* Fraudulent drivers licences.
The new thinking in road safety suggests that government involvement in promoting road safety should go beyond traffic regulation and enforcement and adopt a people cantered approach that deals with accident prevention and post accident support in a holistic manner. It is thus becoming increasingly clear that traffic management and road safety in South Africa must adopt new strategies that resonate with people cantered development principles to meet the challenges of our growing and changing economy. This will require a fundamental shift from awareness campaigns towards a growing emphasis on community participation in planning, facilitating and implementing road safety.
CONCLUSION
The fundamental objective of my department is to promote a sustainable, safe, cost efficient and cost effective movement of people and goods throughout our province and to ensure that our transport system responds to the different needs of our first and second economies.
To this end, we need to accept that, for the majority of our citizens, transport mobility is a basic need and budget accordingly. Pedestrian bridges, access roads and roads for rural development are a priority that will drastically begin to address the second economy dilemma that still prevails in KwaZulu-Natal and in this country as a whole,
In conclusion Chairperson, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you as delegates, especially Amakhosi and mayors because to develop this province we need the participation of all of us including you. We all constitute the government of the day i.e. national, provincial and local levels. If one link is missing, we are not going to succeed. Chairperson, I wish you all the best and very successful deliberations in the commissions.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
26 May 2005
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