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Date
: 18/11/2006
Source: Department of Roads and Transport
Title: Mahlalela: Patrol vehicles launch
Address at the launch of patrol vehicles event by Mr Fish
Mahlalela, Mpumalanga MEC for Roads and Transport, Moloto
Village
Programme Director
Executive Mayor of Thembisile, Mr VV Nkosi
Executive Mayor of Nkangala District, Mr S Mashilo
Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS),
Mr S Khumalo
Ingwenyama Makhosonke Wesibili
Leadership of SANTACO and SABOA
Managing Director of PUTCO, Mr Pisapia
Representatives of Sasol and Engen
Councillors
Distinguished guests
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen
During the month of October, we held our Transport Month Campaign.
This campaign has been a springboard for acceleration of the
implementation of our Transport Programme of Action. During this
month, we were particularly energised by the overwhelming mandate
we received from our communities to accelerate the transformation
of our transport system. In our province, we had a number of
activities from opening of new licensing and registration offices,
handing over of bicycles and transport imbizo, whilst nationally;
we saw non-roadworthy taxis reduced to scrap metal and the
historical renaming of Johannesburg International Airport to OR
Tambo International Airport. This is a clear indication that the
light we are seeing at the end of the tunnel is indeed not an
on-coming train, but a sign of great achievements.
Indeed, a seed has been planted for better things to come, and all
our endeavours are pointing to a safe, reliable, seamless and
affordable transport system. The milestones we have achieved and
the role we’ve played as the Department of Roads and
Transport is there for all to see. The event today is but one of
many, that ensures that our legacy is also experienced not only by
ourselves but also by our communities who are receiving this
vehicles today.
It is therefore a great pleasure to be among the people of Nkangala
today, particularly the community of Thembisile. Uma singuhulumeni
sikhuluma ngokuphepha emgwaqeni kodwa singakezi emphakathini ofana
nowenu sisuke singakenzi lutho. Kuya’sthokozisa ukuba lapha
kwethu namhlanje, ngoba ngalezimonto esizithulayo namhlanje
sizokuthi, “Phansi Ngezingozi Zomgwaqo Emloto Phansi”,
“Phansi Ngabashayeli Bomkokotelo Phansi”, Phansi
Ngezikorokoro Phansi”.
Programme Director, it is our responsibility as government to
ensure that our communities have safe and reliable transport
system. If we turn a blind eye on such an essential matter our
economy will grind to a halt. In this regard, the department has
put in place a Road Safety Strategy to ensure that we achieve the
Millennium Development Goal, which is to halve road fatalities by
2014.
The department has invested more than R5 million in this project
and this high level of investment is a clear demonstration of
government commitment to our law enforcement initiatives, both as
part of a developmental state intervention to ensuring safety on
our roads, stimulating economic growth, and restoring public
confidence in our transport system. It is also a direct response to
the overwhelming mandate given to our government at the last
General elections where our people amongst others, mandated our
department to provide safe, affordable and accessible public
transport infrastructure.
In the context of our Sivuth’ Umlilo, our law enforcement
officers will in using these vehicles, among others carry out
mini-road blocks exercises daily to identify:
* illegal vehicles and drivers
* unroadworthy vehicles
* non-compliance to seatbelt laws
* drivers who are driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
and
* put more stringent punishments for those who contravene the
law
Distinguished guests, apart from the above activities and in the
context of our Taxi Recapitalisation Project, we will continue and
intensify our law enforcement initiatives focused particularly on
public transport in the following areas:
* unroadworthy vehicles
* operators deviating from prescribed routes;
* operators operating contrary to the conditions of their
permits/operating licenses
* taxi piracy and
* operators/drivers and members found in possession of stolen and
suspicious stolen vehicles
We are convinced that all these initiatives will propel passenger
transport, in particular taxis, to gain its rightful place as a
mass-mover of our people. Our underlying assumption is to guarantee
safety and security for commuters within the broader context of the
public transport system.
We, however, can never be alone in all these endeavours. We are
forging strong partnerships with private sector and civil society
to promote safety on our roads. I’m pleased to announce that
today we are joined by PUTCO, which has contributed five vehicles
towards increasing visibility of traffic law enforcement and also
Sasol who have contributed an amount of R250 000-00 towards placing
of billboards. I would like to call upon the representatives of
both PUTCO and Sasol to stand for a round of applause. As
government we are encouraged by your contribution and would like to
appeal and encourage other companies to follow this example. Keep
up good work.
As we officially launch this initiative, we also strongly condemn
the practice of the throwing of stones and burning of buses. No
amount of frustration and anger could justify such behaviour and
destruction of property. We are therefore confident that our police
will ensure that those responsible are brought to book and are made
to pay for their crimes. We also hope that this initiative will
ignite the spark of confidence among communities largely towards
our law enforcement officers and will translate into increased
law-abiding citizenship.
In conclusion, we all know that our people continue to lose their
lives on this road with a substantial number of pedestrians. We all
have a responsibility of changing this culture and raise the level
of consciousness of our people on road safety. This responsibility
should be a shared responsibility; we cannot do it alone as
government, all of us must act together and advocate the importance
tolerance, love, peace, compassion and mutual respect as we use our
roads.
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