WESTERN CAPE
DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORT AND PUBLIC WORKS

GREEN PAPER ON
WESTERN CAPE
PROVINCIAL TRANSPORT POLICY

SEPTEMBER 1996

Contents

FOREWORD

The Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works held its first consultative conference in November 1994. This initiated the process which resulted in the release of the Draft Green Paper on Western Cape Provincial Transport Policy in June 1996. Abridged versions of the Draft Green Paper were prepared in English, Afrikaans and Xhosa.

Prior to the writing of the Draft Green Paper, letters were sent to 1,500 stakeholders throughout the Province asking them which were the important matters provincial policy should address. Many of the issues and concerns raised by communities, organisations and statutory bodies at the start of the project were addressed. In addition, an in-depth rtral transport study was undertaken which examined the principal transport problems in over 35 different towns in the Western Cape and the accessibility issues confronting people in rural areas.

The Draft Green Paper was widely circulated and 4,000 copies of the abridged version distributed throughout the Province. Written comment was received from over 30 organisations and individuals and over 20 bilaterals were held, involving a large number of key stakeholders. This process of consultation and involvement culminated in the Second Consultative Conference which was held on 14 September 1996.

Based upon a range of comments and suggestions which were received throughout this consultative process, the Draft Green Paper has been amended and is now issued as the Green Paper for broader public comment. The Green Paper will form the basis of transport policy in the Western Cape. Its key provisions will form the basis of a Provincial White Paper and subsequent legislation.

Accordingly, I am presenting this Green Paper to you, the people of the Western Cape, to enable you to comment on all the issues within the policy which concern you. Your comments and suggestions will help in making this policy the best possible framework to address transport problems throughout the Province, while also ensuring that transport is used as a tool for growth, development, reconstruction and redistribution of opportunities for all people, especially those who have been marginalised by past government policies. I invite you to provide comment on the Green Paper by 30 November 1996.

Comments may be e-mailed to: lramatlakane@anc.org.za

Leonard Ramatlakane
MEC : Transport and Public Works
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF THE WESTERN CAPE


PRELIMINARIES

SECTION A - THE SCOPE

1. The content and extent of transport policy contained in this Green Paper address all those aspects necessary to plan and operate a viable, affordable and sustainable land-based transport system in the Province of the Western Cape in the furtherance of specific reconstruction and development principles. It includes all modes of transport, both public and private, passenger and freight, urban and rural, mechanised and on foot, as well as all trip purposes.

2. The proposed policies deal with the following key issues :

3. The intent is to produce a set of policies which are mutually supportive and internally consistent and produce meaningful and substantial change by the year 2010. They form part of the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works "Focus 2010" programme which aims to produce an efficient, effective and equitable transport system throughout the province within the next 15 years. It reinforces the national framework for land passenger transport, but is responsive to provincial needs and concerns, and offers direction to lower tiers of government for attaining broader provincial development aims.

SECTION B - THE STRUCTURE OF TRANSPORT POLICY IN THE WESTERN CAPE

4. Policy is a declared intent to achieve a specific state or condition. Policies differ from objectives in that while objectives are a declaration of all that is sought, involving statements which are possibly conflicting or overlapping, policy is the synthesis, representing a single course of action, characterised by mutual support and reinforcement, internal consistency and the resolution of conflict.

5. The declaration of public policy therefore has profound implications. It commits a particular level or branch of government to a specific course of action which will determine priorities and form the basis for the future expenditure of public funds. Consequently, it informs other stakeholders, allowing them to position themselves to take advantage of the more positive aspects of policy and to minimise any possible negative consequences it may have for them.

6. Being a declaration of specific intent, not general intent, it must be commensurate with the particular role and responsibilities of each level and branch of government. It must be enabling and facilitating, equipping successively lower levels of government to take decisions which are rightfully theirs in terms of the Interim Constitution, 1993 and the Constitution as adopted by the Constitutional Assembly on 8 May 1996. In addition, it must be informing, indicating to successively higher levels of government the form of support which is required.

7. Public policy is essentially hierarchical in nature, not vested solely in one level of government. With the devolution of responsibilities as stipulated in Schedule 6 of the Interim Constitution, 1993 and in Schedules 4 and 5 of the Constitution adopted on 8 May 1996 and as informed by any future Land Passenger Transport Act, it is important that each level of government declare policy consistent with its role and function and area of jurisdiction, responsive to its own particular needs and circumstances.

8. This interrelationship between different levels of policy should be based upon the principle that the policies of a higher level of government should guide and constrain the policies of a lower level of government through the legal and fiscal mechanisms which govern such relationships. Within this context, policies at the lower levels of government become increasingly detailed and specific and are successively contained within the policies of higher levels of government.

The Structure of a Policy Hierarchy

9. With the publication of the Green Paper on National Transport Policy at national level, and the subsequent adoption of the White Paper by the national cabinet, overall policy direction has been established. The intention of this Provincial Transport Green Paper is to build on this foundation and to provide greater detail of specific intentions which are responsive to the needs and opportunities which exist in this province, and which recognise current and future competencies assigned to provinces under the Interim Constitution and the final Constitution as adopted on 8 May 1996. Accordingly, this document is similar in nature to the national Land Transport Policy Framework and extends many of the key recommendations and the mechanisms for implementation. Additional sections have been written on aspects which are considered to have received inadequate coverage.

SECTION C - THE INHERITED SITUATION

10. Settlement in the Western Cape, indeed throughout South Africa, is characterised by separation and segregation on racial grounds. The resultant distribution of activities and the allocation of resources have entrenched structural dependency and impoverishment. The result has been settlement patterns, the form and structure of which are characterised by gross inefficiencies and inequities, imposing unnecessary and avoidable costs, especially on the poor. Although the Western Cape has been allocated disproportionately more resources in the past than most other provinces, nevertheless in rural areas, where settlements are more dispersed and are essentially dependent on agricultural production, impoverishment and dependence are endemic, with many people trapped in a cycle of poverty and thereby denied access to even the most basic of human needs.

11. The problems which have been created and the devastating consequences on people's lives have been described in numerous documents and reports. The transport consequences are characterised by limited choice, to the extent that many communities are totally reliant on informal transport, such as trucks, or contract services, such as taxis, for some or all of their movement needs, with long journey times and distances together with high costs. Where scheduled services are provided, movement is often associated with considerable personal effort to access services, involving long walks and waits, and disproportionately high costs, particularly where unemployment is rife or wages are low. In many areas, people are mobility-deprived because of the complete absence of any form of public transport and are unable to access even the most basic facilities on a regular basis. Other people are transport disenfranchised and could not afford transport even if it were provided. Under such circumstances people become isolated and insular, cut off from other people, opportunities and information. Even in large urban areas, public transport services are seen by many to be inconvenient, unreliable and unsafe, offering limited choice, particularly for non-work trips with very few evening, night-time or weekend services.

12. This should be contrasted with a totally different set of concerns arising from virtually unconstrained use of private vehicles by the more affluent sections of society. Growth in private vehicle usage has resulted in growth in travel estimated at 6 per cent/annum with rapidly increasing levels of congestion in urban areas which delay all road users, both private and public alike, and are leading to worsening environmental deterioration, especially in metropolitan Cape Town. This leads to increasing demands to expand the capability of the existing road system, as illustrated by previous metropolitan transport plans, with the concomitant risk of entrenching the inefficient and inequitable land use arrangements which gave rise to the particular growth in traffic demand, thereby perpetuating structural dependency and impoverishment.

13. Despite these problems, the province is well endowed with movement resources. There is an extensive main road network joining all the major centres and a relatively dense network of gravelled roads joining rural settlements and farms. In the metropolitan area, there is a well-developed arterial road system and an established rail system. Road-based public transport services are provided by a large fleet of buses and mini-bus taxis.

14. However, one of the main problems which exists in the Western Cape is not the under-supply of transport facilities but the relative inefficiency and ineffectiveness with which services are provided and operated. From operational to strategic planning, from accident prevention to public transport planning and operations, from policy coordination to law enforcement, from funding to subsidisation, all display numerous degrees of inadequacy and poor performance. The result has been a transport system which is in disarray. Responsibilities are badly fragmented and there is no coherent policy to address the many different issues which exist. If proper provision is not made in all of these areas, transport will remain inefficient and far from the full potential of which the system is capable.

15. Of overriding concern are safety and security issues with levels of lawlessness in all aspects of transport, both private and public, which are unworthy of a purportedly civilised society. In particular, indiscriminate violence involving the more vulnerable sections of society, especially the poor, the elderly, women, and the youth, in and around public transport facilities is of major concern.

SECTION D - KEY PRINCIPLES

16. An essential principle of the RDP is the need for an integrated and sustainable programme which is aimed at redressing the imbalances of the past, increasing people's abilities and skills and enhancing human dignity. This can only be achieved by adequate coordination between various sectoral policies, using all available resources in a coherent and purposeful way to achieve a common aim. It changes the nature of sectoral policy, such as transport, from pursuing its own, often narrow and inward-looking agenda, to becoming a tool which is used in the attainment of broader development policy. Consequently, sectoral policies become subservient to broader development needs and truly become the agents for development. The transport policy debate is broadened from current considerations of economic and operational efficiency to the particular role transport should play in the attainment of specific reconstruction and development strategies and the realisation of spatial development policy. This ensures that transport investments are developmentally effective and justified in relation to the opportunity costs of investments in other sectors. Accordingly, the emphasis changes from a planning process which is product-driven within sectors to one which is programme-driven between sectors, with a unified vision and common objectives to which all sectors subscribe for each programme.

17. This remains the essence of emerging provincial transport policy - transport can no longer be seen in isolation, as has often been the case in the past, but as a means to an end, namely the attainment of broader development aims. Unless policies which are essentially interventionist are adopted, the inequities and inequalities of the past will be perpetuated and the majority of our people committed to a life of structural impoverishment and dependency. This cannot be allowed.

18. Based upon this proposition there are a number of key principles which inform transport policy:

18.1 Establish a role for transport in employment creation. The nature of transport policy which is adopted has a major influence upon employment creation - directly, through the amount of employment generated, particularly within road-based freight and public transport sectors, and indirectly through the degree of access it provides to land and income generating opportunities and the resultant development response. Both are susceptible to manipulation and can have a major bearing on the developmental 'well-being' of an area.

18.2 Assess the distributional effects of transport programmes. The skew development between rich and poor, urban and rural, advantaged and disadvantaged, continues to undermine our society. To achieve greater equity and accessibility in the provision of public goods, particularly relating to intended transport investment programmes, it is important that both the direct and indirect impact of such programmes are fully explored. The actual beneficiaries of such programmes should be identified and the nature and extent of benefits each realises made explicit to avoid the perpetuation of inequalities and under-development. Past discriminatory practices against women and the disabled must be acknowledged, and their special needs and requirements recognised in all transport plans and programmes.

18.3 Increase productive potential in the transport sector. There are two related dimensions - increasing the appropriate and efficient use of currently available movement resources and mobilising and empowering emergent transport skills and capacity, particularly from within previously disadvantaged communities. While the first is essentially technical, including both operational and spatial considerations, the second is people-centred, aimed at developing and sustaining the capacity of communities to respond to their own movement needs and requirements. Increasing the power of communities to control resources they themselves produce for the benefit of those who need them most requires careful support and encouragement but has the potential of creating substantial improvements at minimal cost, particularly amongst the most seriously disadvantaged and marginalised.

18.4 Establish accessible, supportive and responsive administrations. The RDP is a people-driven process, the various levels of government acting as enabling instruments in the realisation of people's legitimate aims and aspirations. For transport to fulfil its appropriate role, all levels of government involved directly or indirectly with transport must be responsive to the people's needs. Appropriate structures should be established to ensure that government bodies are aware and informed of community needs and become actively involved in their realisation. In addition, given the serious backlog in transport service provision which exists and the need to deliver at scale, the management and implementation capacity of all levels of government must be significantly enhanced.

18.5 Use provincial monies, through the provision of services and subsidies, to benefit the poor. The provision of movement resources, particularly road space provision, has aimed principally at satisfying the movement requirements of a minority who enjoy high levels of personal mobility. Public transport provision has been a secondary requirement, motivated principally by the need to provide a minimum level of mobility to satisfy the labour needs of a developed industrial and commercial sector. The result has been urban and rural systems which often fail to meet even the most basic access requirements of the poor. In future, much effort and the majority of resources will be focused on meeting these basic needs in ways which stimulate growth, development, reconstruction and redistribution to the benefit of all.

18.6 Set transport prices at appropriate and realistic levels, consistent with the aims of restructuring and redistribution. A key issue is the way in which transport prices and user charges are set. The determination of appropriate transport prices is an essential component of spatial restructuring and should therefore be an integral part of transport policy at a regional level. Current pricing levels have often been determined by historic precedence alone and bear little relationship to current economic or social reality. A more rigorous basis for determining prices is required which is made clear and explicit, based not only on economic considerations but upon social justice and need. A general principle is that those able to afford it should meet a far greater proportion of their direct costs, both economic and social, and that subsidies and grants should be retained primarily for those who need them most, the poor and disadvantaged.

18.7 Ensure that decision-making is truly participative and democratic. The link between democracy, development and a people-centred approach to government is firmly entrenched in the RDP. Development occurs when government is closest to the people and is supportive, encouraging and enabling. To maximise development potential requires not only the decentralisation of decision-making and the participation of people in decisions that directly involve or affect them but a clear understanding of the distinct roles and responsibilities of the various tiers of government. It is therefore an obligation of this department to distinguish between decision-making that is rightfully its prerogative and that of lower levels of government, to ensure that all decision-making at all levels is inclusive and participative and to help build capacity to enable the transportation and development responsibilities of each to be competently discharged.

19. Based upon these key principles, there are six main propositions upon which provincial policy is founded and which will guide the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works in the role which it intends to play in transport matters in the province. They are:

19.1 Establish strong policy direction and content. A clear transport culture and ethic will be established throughout the province which is founded on explicit principles and values, responsive to public needs and requirements. These will guide and inform local planning initiatives. The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works intends to take the lead in defining such principles and values, in establishing an appropriate culture and ethic and in ensuring their consistent application. It intends to become a learning organisation, continually adapting and responding to changing opportunities and need and always seeking to respond appropriately. Effective channels will be established to ensure the transfer of knowledge and information between all levels of government.

19.2 Provide for the maximum delegation of powers and functions. While it is important that there is sustained progress in realising both national and provincial policies, the way in which these policies are refined and extended, the particular strategies which are adopted and the plans and programmes which are proposed are local matters and should be drawn up in response to local needs and priorities.

19.3 Build capacity and capability at lower levels of government. For those powers and functions where it is agreed that adequate capacity should exist at lower levels of government to undertake specific technical aspects which have been delegated, technical assistance and support will be provided by the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works to enable appropriate levels of capacity and capability to be developed.

19.4 Adopt management-intensive rather than capital-intensive programmes. The emphasis for the immediate future must be placed on making the best use of available resources before major additions to the transport system are considered. There is ample scope for improving both the performance and productivity of almost every aspect of transportation through far better organisation and management; achieving the optimum performance of the considerable transport resources which are currently available should take precedence.

19.5 Ensure that all transport actions are development based. Transport plans and programmes must always be linked to broader reconstruction and development aims, seeking to increase economic growth, redress existing imbalances and inequalities and be responsive to public needs.

19.6 Make transport part of an integrated planning process. The strategic relationship between transport policy and the spatial manifestations of development policy in determining the overall demand for movement, the degree of efficiency with which such demand can be met and the need for additional investment in resources and infrastructure must be recognised in all transport plans. In the move towards greater sustainability, targets will be established for the growth in movement, particularly during peak periods, the degree of utilisation of available movement resources and the preferred transport intermodal mix.

SECTION E - AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

20. The overall aim is to restructure the transport system throughout the province in order that it becomes efficient, effective and sustainable. Achieving minimum acceptable standards of service provision and operational performance is a priority, but this must be reconciled with the need for fundamental change in the location and intensity of land use activities in both urban and rural areas. To make this aim a reality will require the establishment of appropriate organisational and institutional structures at all levels of government which are competent and capable and which have adequate capacity.

21. The strategic objectives are based on the national strategic objectives. These are as follows and have the intention of establishing values and direction for the provincial transport policy:

21.1 use transport policy and practice as strategic instruments in achieving growth, development, reconstruction and redistribution throughout the province;

21.2 integrate transport policy with other sectoral policies in a programme-driven approach to reconstruction and development;

21.3 reduce existing inequalities in access to opportunity, requiring the use of both transport and land use policy instruments;

21.4 significantly increase the utilisation of available transport resources such as existing road space and public transport rolling stock, through spatial restructuring and operational improvements;

21.5 establish targets in the larger urban areas for containing growth in private vehicle travel and modal split, particularly for the journey to work;

21.6 integrate previously marginalised areas into the economic and social system of which they are rightfully part through the provision of enabling infrastructure and/or public transport services;

21.7 substantially increase the operational efficiency of the entire transport system;

21.8 ensure the provision of socially necessary public transport services in both urban and rural areas, to demarginalise the urban and rural poor and transport disenfranchised;

21.9 encourage the establishment of multifunctional transport services in marginalised areas, meeting the requirements of travellers, social and government service providers, producers and manufacturers;

21.10 provide active support to local organisations in providing, operating and maintaining additional transport capacity outside of the formal sector;

21.11 empower local communities to ensure that their access and mobility needs are satisfactorily met;

21.12 allocate financial responsibilities between different levels of government in an efficient and equitable manner, consistent with the role and responsibilities of each;

21.13 improve user choice by encouraging the provision of viable and affordable public transport services;

21.14 establish partnerships between each level of government and the public transport industry to foster growth, development, reconstruction and redistribution of opportunities in the industry;

21.15 maximise energy conservation and minimise ecological impacts to be responsive to achieving environmental sustainability;

21.16 encourage the provision of appropriate organisational and institutional structures at all levels of government which are able to efficiently and effectively undertake the planning, management, operation, implementation, funding, regulation and law enforcement of the land passenger transport system;

21.17 ensure that the necessary mechanisms are established to provide adequate coordination between different levels of government;

21.19 increase the accessibility, responsiveness and accountability of transport administrations and service providers to public demand;

21.20 provide a dedicated source of funding to meet provincial obligations in the provision, maintenance and operation of infrastructure and public transport services;

21.21 establish additional funding sources for use by regional and local transport authorities;

21.22 promote growth and stability in the public transport industry, facilitating investment and providing job security;

21.23 place all aspects involved in the planning, management and operation of land passenger transport on a sound professional and ethical basis;

21.24 ensure that all processes are transparent and inclusive, involving all stakeholders, including different levels and departments of government as well as civil society;

21.25 substantially improve public safety and security on all public transport services, especially those confronting women, and other more vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, disabled and tourists;

21.26 substantially improve road safety through engineering improvements, the consistent enforcement of traffic rules and regulations and through road user training and education;

21.27 provide all necessary facilities and resources to ensure that the road freight industry conforms to all legal requirements and rigorously and consistently enforce such provisions;

21.28 introduce consistent and compatible monitoring and review systems between different levels of government to facilitate information flow and feedback;

21.29 respond to specific user requirements and needs including the young, the old, women, the disabled as well as other special categories of users;

21.30 protect the existing investment in transport infrastructure and resources through appropriate and timeous maintenance effort.

KEY POLICY AREAS

SECTION F - COMPREHENSIVE, INTEGRATED PLANNING

section f.1: key issues

22. There are three basic levels within which comprehensive, integrated planning should occur:

22.1 within the transport sector itself

22.2 between transport and land use planning, land use being the major determinant of movement demand

22.3 between transport and development planning, to achieve broader reconstruction and development aims.

23. In the past there has been little comprehensive, integrated planning at any of these levels. Transport planning activity has largely concentrated on the provision of new infrastructure with scant attention being given to the better management of existing resources or improved operational performance of public transport. This has resulted in generally poor performance in many aspects of the transport system and the dominance of issues associated with private vehicle mobility.

24. Integration between transport and land use has never occurred because of the inability to engage with the underlying political dimensions of many land use decisions and a failure to grasp the complicated macro-issues associated with the functioning of such a complex system. In addition, the fragmentation of responsibilities within and between land use planning and transport planning agencies has given rise to a land use-transport system which is far from economic or efficient. Neither is it effective. Due to the priority and importance given to land use decisions, transport has been treated solely as a derived demand and consequently, the performance of the transport system has been essentially reactionary and has never been capable of being optimised. Because of these characteristics, sustained economic and population growth at anticipated levels in urban areas will seriously compromise the situation still further.

25. However, the context within which comprehensive, integrated planning should occur has changed. It should now occur within a broader reconstruction and development vision which extends beyond spatial restructuring, important though that may be, and include all those factors associated with meeting basic needs.- job creation, housing, infrastructure provision, etc. - with investments in the transport sector being integrated with other sectoral investments in an appropriate and well-structured development programme. In addition, the manner within which planning occurs must recognise new realities - the importance of establishing people-driven processes which are genuinely inclusive and empowering with the different levels of government responding to people's development needs and aspirations.

section f.2: recommendations

Integration within the transport sector

26 It is important that transport policy development is both comprehensive and cohesive, that is, that strategic, reasoned decisions on all the interrelated transport policy aspects evolve together and are assessed collectively. In general, transport policy development has not been cohesive with policies on road investment programmes, public transport planning and operations and urban transport matters having evolved separately and to different degrees, often with no clearly defined links or broader relationship between them. In future, transport policy must form a single, comprehensive and integrated programme with mutual support and internal consistency between all transport variables. The key dimensions of integrated transport are:

26.1 balancing the need to improve the utilisation and operational efficiency of the existing transport system with the need for investment in additional transport infrastructure;

26.2 identifying the different modal options which are available and establishing the preferred modal split;

26.3 determining appropriate pricing levels within the transport market, particularly the use of pricing instruments and other travel demand techniques to restrain the growth in travel by private car;

26.4 reconciling the need for investment in transport infrastructure and financial support for other operational and management measures with available financial resources.

27. All transport plans must demonstrate that the proposed course of action has resulted from such a rigorous assessment of the various mix of transport policy instruments available.

Integration between transport and land use

28. Transport is integrally bound up with the form of the land use structure. The demand for movement is a reflection of the distribution of land use activities while the availability of transport facilities is a primary determinant in the location and nature of development opportunities. Redressing the imbalances of the past will require strategic consideration of the relative roles of transport and land use in establishing efficient, effective and equitable urban systems. The relationship must be firmly described and defined in sufficient detail to guide and control both land use and transport decision-making. It is just not possible to bring about improvements in the operation and performance of the transport system to the scale necessary through intervention in the transport system alone, it is simply unaffordable and would merely perpetuate the inefficient and inequitable land use system which generated such a distorted pattern of movement demand in the first instance. To produce a transport system which is truly efficient, viable and affordable, and is sustainable into the future, it is envisaged that not only will there be a need for a fundamental reassessment of the nature of land use policies such as containment, densification and the adoption of mixed land use, but a fundamental restructuring of the land use system to reduce the demand for movement. In addition, appropriate legislation must be established at the national and provincial levels to ensure the necessary adherence to proposed landuse-transport plans.

Integration between transport and development planning

29. Important though the relationship between transport and land use is in advancing system efficiency, the context within which the integration of land use and transport occurs has changed. With increasing emphasis on growth, development, reconstruction and redistribution, the measures of both urban and rural system performance and the role which transport policy has to play has moved beyond simple measures of system efficiency to include such factors as:

29.1 sustainable growth in the urban and rural economies, targeted towards the elimination of poverty and privation;

29.2 the promotion of equity between all groups and classes of people;

29.3 the effective use of available resources - skills, abilities, infrastructure, etc.;

29.4 the empowerment of disadvantaged groups, especially women and the disabled.

30. The transport strategies, plans and programmes produced at local level must recognise this new reality and make explicit the anticipated development impact, the form of the development response and the anticipated distribution of benefits and costs between different sectors and groups.

The role of the Provincial Development Council

31. The past concerns of the various levels of government, other than national, has essentially been on 'service delivery', that is, the provision, operation and maintenance of a number of 'service systems' such as infrastructure (transportation, water, sewerage etc.), land use planning regulations and controls and basic services such as refuse removal. However, the aims and intentions of the Reconstruction and Development Programme has focused attention on the urgent need to prioritise social, economic and environmental development functions which were historically outside the perceived role of lower levels of government.

32. With the allocation of responsibility to lower levels of government to engage with issues of growth, development, reconstruction and redistribution, the context within which service delivery should occur has changed considerably. It necessitates the establishment of integrated, coherent socio-economic policy frameworks at all levels of government which result from planning procedures which are genuinely democratic and participative. Within this context, the various aspects of 'service delivery' are viewed as the strategic instruments to be used in the attainment of far broader reconstruction and development aims, not as ends in their own right. It requires the crafting of a development strategy and programme where all the required sectoral instruments are integrated into a developmental 'whole'.

33. To achieve this requires the establishment of a partnership between each tier of government and civil society in the development and execution of policy that recognises the different needs and aspirations of all stakeholder groups and attempts to reach consensus through cooperation and compromise. It is only in this way that comprehensive, integrated planning can occur and where issues of equity, efficiency and sustainability can be openly addressed and acknowledged within the planning process.

34. The recent establishment of the Provincial Development Council is a significant move towards bringing into being a planning partnership at each of the various tiers of government in the Western Cape. It seeks to provide for the participation of all stakeholders, including organised labour, business, CBOs/NGOs, regional councils etc. on 'development planning, policy objectives and development strategies in the formulation of a development plan'. An important integral role is to communicate with provincial, regional and local governments on specific needs relating to finance and budgets, legislation and implementing the RDP

35. It is based on a general partnership model which has the following structure :

36. It is anticipated that variations of this general partnership model will be adopted at Regional, District and Local Council levels.

37. It remains the responsibility of each level of government to develop sectoral policy and, through the relevant Interdepartmental Committee and Development Council, to ensure integration between these policies in order that a coherent development framework can be produced. The application of such policies, the plans and programmes which are made, together with the priorities and budget allocations, should as far as possible be based on the recommendations of the relevant Development Council or Development Forum.

38. The development and execution of transport policy is an integral part of this process and appropriate organisational structures must be developed at the lower levels of government to ensure that this occurs. While final political responsibility for the development and execution of policy will remain within government structures, such as provincial, metropolitan, regional or district, local and rural councils, provincial support for proposed transport improvements will be dependent upon the relevant Development Council or Development Forum having been consulted and the proposals forming part of a fully integrated development programme.

The need for coordination between different levels of government

39. As well as policy integration between sectors within each level of government, there is also need for policy coordination within the transport sector between different levels of government. Its intention is to ensure that there is consistency and agreement between different levels of government in order that the full resources of government can be brought to bear on any major initiative and to clarify the role and contribution each level of government is expected to make. Coordination on transport matters occurs between national and provincial governments in the form of MINCOM, a committee upon which the MECs in charge of transport in each of the nine provinces serve together with the national Minister of Transport. Technical coordination between national and provincial governments occurs within COLTO, the Committee of Land Transport Officials, and its various sub-committees.

40. It is intended to replicate this structure in the Western Cape, to bring together provincial government and third-tier government to discuss matters of common interest. The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will provide strong direction and guidance on the nature of the transport policy it intends to pursue throughout the province and will prepare overarching plans and programmes which it will integrate with other sectoral policies through Provincial Interdepartmental Committees and the Provincial Development Council. Regional, district, metropolitan and local transport authorities will prepare transport plans in response to these policies, plans and programmes which will be integrated with broader developmental frameworks through both the local interdepartmental committees and the relevant development councils and development forums. It is intended to establish a Provincial Transport Committee (PROVCOM) upon which political representation of third-tier government throughout the province would serve, chaired by the MEC: Transport and Public Works. In addition, it is intended to establish a Provincial Transport Technical Committee (PROVTECH) comprising technical representatives of the third-tier government chaired by the Deputy Director-General: Transport and Public Works or his representative. It is through these two structures that coordination on transport matters between the various levels of government will be achieved within the Western Cape.

41. As well as defining the flow of policy, the hierarchical structure also determines the coordination responsibilities which exist at each level of government as well as the various routes the flow of finance will take. Each level of government is responsible for preparing a comprehensive, integrated transport plan and for coordinating the planning initiatives of other levels of government within its area of jurisdiction. Funds will be allocated annually on the basis of approved transport plans and those intended for use by lower levels of government will be assigned to the next lower level of government for distribution and administration. Similarly, it is intended that national funds, including those ear-marked for specific projects or specific purposes within other levels of government, will be allocated through the provincial government who will be responsible for their distribution and administration.

section f.3 : proposals

F3.1 Integration within the transport sector:

In future, transport policy must form a single, comprehensive integrated programme with mutual support and internal consistency between all transport variables relating to the movement of people and goods.

F3.2 Integration between transport and land use:

To produce a transport system which is truly efficient, viable and affordable and is sustainable into the future, there must be a fundamental reassessment of the nature of land use policies such as containment, densification and the adoption of mixed land use and a fundamental restructuring of the land use system to reduce or at least contain the demand for movement.

F3.3 Integration between transport and development planning:

With increasing emphasis on growth, development, reconstruction and redistribution, the measures of both urban and rural system performance and the role which transport policy has to play must include such factors as:

F3.4 The role of the Provincial Development Council:

Integrated, coherent socio-economic policy frameworks must be established at all levels of government. To achieve this requires the establishment of a partnership between each tier of government and civil society in the development and execution of policy. This has been addressed by the recent establishment of the Provincial Development Council. Final political responsibility for the development and execution of policy will remain within government structures: provincial support for proposed transport improvements being dependent on the relevant development council having been consulted and proposals forming part of a fully integrated development programme.

F3.5 The need for coordination between different levels of government:

Province will provide strong direction and guidance on the nature of the transport policy it intends to pursue. This it will integrate with other sectoral policies through provincial interdepartmental committees and the Provincial Development Council. Coordination on transport matters throughout the province will be provided by two new groups, a Provincial Transport Committee (PROVCOM) upon which political representatives of third-tier government throughout the province will serve, chaired by the MEC: Transport and Public Works and a Provincial Transport Technical Committee (PROVTECH) comprising technical representatives of both second- and third-tier government, chaired by the Deputy Director-General: Transport and Public Works or his representative.

SECTION G - TRANSPORT AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

SECTION G.1: KEY ISSUES

42. An urban system is an extremely complex system with social, economic and environmental dimensions. There is an inherently stable relationship between these dimensions in any specific urban area which has a direct bearing on the way the system operates and how productive it is. No matter how efficient or inefficient, how equitable or inequitable, or how effective or ineffective the system is, this stability makes it extremely difficult to change the system. To do so requires planned intervention involving the reassessment of all the policy variables - regulatory, pricing and investment- which are able to influence change in both the land use and transport markets and the relationship between the two.

43. For planned intervention to be effective, it is important that there is as complete an understanding as possible of the often difficult and complicated problems and issues confronting the urban areas of the Western Cape. It is also important that agreement exists on the broader development principles and that internal consistency exists between these broader development principles and land use and transport aims and objectives. It is on the basis of this understanding that the specific role of transport in alleviating current conditions should be established. This is the very essence of comprehensive, integrated planning.

44. There are a number of structural problems related to the existing urban land use disposition which have resulted from the past legal and planning systems which were based upon ideological factors rather than spatial efficiency and equity considerations. These systems produced generally low-density residential development and urban sprawl with urban opportunities largely concentrated in, or adjacent to, the more affluent and privileged areas. Forced separation condemned the majority of the urban population, especially the poor, to live in remote areas with few economic opportunities or social amenities. This distorted and inequitable land use structure continues to favour growth in existing well-resourced areas and fails to produce sustainable economic growth on the scale necessary in the impoverished areas.

45. It also gave rise to a number of serious transport problems of which the following are of particular concern. While experienced to some degree in all the main urban concentrations throughout the province, it is in the metropolitan area that they are the most pronounced:

45.1 the concentration and distribution of land use activities have given rise to very long journey distances and unbalanced traffic flows on both the road system and the public transport system. The result, paradoxically, has been congestion on certain parts of the movement system but with generally low levels of overall system utilisation. This has resulted in the various aspects of movement cost ­ operator, supplier, user and non-user ­ being much higher than necessary.

45.2 the rapid growth in travel which has occurred in the last 10­20 years has resulted in a significant environmental burden, a major increase in motorisation rates and liquid fuel utilisation, and a significant deterioration in the performance of the urban road system with significantly increased levels of congestion.

45.3 a major shift in the composition and performance of the public transport system which the public collectively consider to be poor, inconvenient, unsafe, costly and limited.

45.4 unrestrained growth in the use of private vehicles has been accompanied by further deterioration in the quality and performance of the public transport system together with a reduction in its market share.

45.5 considerable fragmentation and division of responsibilities for planning and management of the overall transport system between a plethora of authorities and agencies, from private companies to a whole range of agencies at various levels of government and in different departments, leading to inconsistency, overlap and confusion. Many of the problems identified in the national policy framework - fragmented legislation, fragmented responsibilities, lack of comprehensive planning, regulatory deficiencies and lack of funding in the public transport market, and totally inefficient subsidy policies ­ are attributable to this organisational disarray.

SECTION G.2: RECOMMENDATIONS

46. Provincial urban transport policy seeks to create an environment and to establish priorities to which lower levels of government can respond with urban transport planning proposals and programmes. It seeks to retain a balance between urban and rural development, particularly relating to the utilisation of resources, and to further the attainment of its key principles and propositions as outlined in Section D: Key Principles.

Spatial considerations

General principles of urban restructuring

47. There is general agreement on the need for fundamental reform centring on urban restructuring and the attainment of an efficient and effective urban system as the main requirements of future urban policy. In addition, there is growing consensus that seven main principles form the basis of urban restructuring. They are:

47.1 the reorientation of growth away from the periphery of the urban area towards the middle, concentrating growth around certain strategic sites and locations;

47.2 the promotion of higher density development;

47.3 the promotion of functional efficiency;

47.4 the utilisation of strategically located land which is vacant, or under-utilised;

47.5 the promotion of mixed land use;

47.6 the use of appropriate transport routes as key structuring devices in the promotion of accessibility and the integration of areas and as enabling devices for the establishment of development opportunities;

47.7 the promotion of the essential role which public transport must play in the structuring process and in meeting the majority of movement needs;

48. These principles lie at the heart of the aims and intentions of provincial urban transport policy and will guide the assessment of urban transport proposals submitted for approval and the allocation of resources.

An underlying urban development vision

49. There is a need for a unifying aim or vision to be declared for each urban area, based upon commonly agreed principles and values, and expressed as a set of policies and strategies. This will constitute the urban development aim for the area and will be used to guide and coordinate sectoral policy, including transport. The vision should result from dialogue between each of the various levels of government and civil society. The declaration of an agreed urban development vision is an essential and necessary component of all urban transport plans submitted for approval.

The role of transport policy in job creation

50. One of the overriding considerations in any urban development policy is the creation of jobs. Urban transport policy can have a significant impact on employment creation, through the number of jobs which can be provided directly within the transport sector itself and indirectly through the creation of development opportunities through the increased accessibility and effective use of land resulting from transport improvements. The generation of employment within the transport sector is an important consideration of provincial transport policy. Proposed urban transport plans will be assessed on the basis of the net change in direct employment in the transport sector and broadening income generating opportunities. The extent and nature of the change which is anticipated to occur must be made explicit in all plans submitted for approval.

The use of transport routes as key structuring devices

51. The existing urban structure in all major urban areas in the Western Cape is distorted and fragmented as a consequence of past apartheid policies. However, the need for restructuring and reintegration to produce urban systems which are both more equitable and efficient and better suited to the needs and requirements of the majority of people is generally recognised and supported. An integral component of restructuring and reintegration is the promotion of development corridors and nodes. Development corridors and nodes focus on public transport as a key enabling device with high-density, mixed-use development extending along the length of the corridor and for some distance back into areas adjacent to these corridors. For an efficient and effective public transport system to eventuate, average residential densities along the length of the corridor must be high, certainly far greater than existing residential densities in the urban areas in the Western Cape.

52. While it is important that public transport should be used proactively in establishing development corridors, its role should extend to integrating areas and establishing local development opportunities as well. To achieve this will require the establishment of a relatively-dense, tertiary-order road network upon which area-based public transport services and short-distance local traffic can occur, enriching opportunities in currently impoverished areas by integrating them into the broader urban framework. The establishment of development corridors integrated with such a network of lower order roads in each urban area where current deficiencies exist remains a key aspect of provincial transport policy.

53. By contrast, land use policies which discourage development in areas less well served by public transport should be adopted in each of the urban areas of the Western Cape. Such policies should aim to achieve the more efficient use of available movement resources by utilising existing spare capacity as much as possible rather than necessitating the provision of new, additional infrastructure and should help to locate work, shopping and leisure activities as an integral part of residential development, so that walking can re-emerge as a distinct means of urban transport with public transport able to satisfy the balance of journey needs.

54. In metropolitan Cape Town, a Metropolitan Spatial Development Framework has been proposed which is based upon these principles. It is expected that this will form the statutory basis for future spatial planning in the metropolitan area. While the principles upon which it is based and the ideals it seeks to attain should inform all other urban planning exercises undertaken in the Western Cape, its proposals should not be seen as a physical model for all applications. Sensible translation and adaptation must take place in each area.

The role of pricing instruments in the performance of the land market

Development taxes and development grants:

55. Urban development policies must recognise the importance of integrating land use and transport proposals into a single strategic plan. Regulatory, pricing and investment policy instruments must be adopted to ensure that the subsequent behaviour of the land use market is adequately administered and controlled to ensure conformity with the plan and that spatial and use proposals adhere to the plan. In addition to the necessary regulatory controls and the adoption of an appropriate public sector investment programme, it is intended to explore jointly with the relevant National Ministers and MECs, the introduction of a Development Tax which would be imposed on all proposed non-residential developments which are inconsistent with the aims and intentions of the proposed land use plan. Similarly, a Development Grant would be paid on all proposed non­residential developments which advance the aims and intent of the proposed land use plan. The specific intention would be to discourage further land use development in areas which are already well-served and to encourage development in areas that are not. While preparation of necessary enabling legislation would be a provincial responsibility, the application of the provisions would be delegated to each urban planning authority who would determine the quantum of such Development Taxes and Grants and the basis of application.

Undeveloped land tax

56. A key aspect in urban restructuring is the strategic use of well-located undeveloped or under-developed land. Bringing such land into productive use enables existing imbalances in access to opportunities to be redressed. For example, if used for residential development, people who relocate may enjoy far better access to employment opportunities and to surrounding business, commercial, educational and recreational facilities; the increase in the number of people strengthening the economic and resource base of the area. Similarly, if used for employment, business, commercial, educational and recreational purposes it could provide vitally needed facilities for surrounding residential areas. While the specific use to which each parcel of land should be put can only be determined from broad local area and sub-regional considerations, an appropriate programme to bring such land into productive use should be established. It is intended to explore jointly with the relevant National Minister and the MECs, the possibility of introducing an Undeveloped Land Tax on undeveloped land strategically positioned in terms of any proposed land use plan and associated with the establishment of development corridors or nodes. The intentions of such a tax are to increase the holding costs of undeveloped land, deter land exploitation and speculation and to bring well located land into productive use.

Urban restructuring and the demand for movement

57. The intention of urban restructuring is to bring about a more equitable and efficient urban system in its entirety encompassing social, economic and environmental factors. Increased efficiency in all these attributes will result if the demand for movement can be restrained and more productive use made of existing movement resources. A key component of the overall demand for movement is the length of trip involved. If average trip lengths can be reduced, there is a proportional reduction in the total requirement for movement resources. Accordingly, land use policies should be adopted which have as a target a reduction in average trip lengths in each urban area. For those areas where average trip lengths for the journey to work are greater than 10 km, a target of a 20  per  cent reduction by the year 2010 should be adopted. In addition, to ensure the more productive use of available movement resources, a land use disposition should be adopted for all areas which minimises the amount of additional transport infrastructure which is needed but maximises the use of existing spare capacity inherent in the movement system.

Transport considerations

General principles of urban transport policy

58. The overall intention of the provincial transport policy is then to :

58.1 encourage the formation of more efficient and equitable land use arrangements which reduce the growth in demand for travel;

58.2 make better use of existing, available movement resources, particularly road space, rail facilities and public transport vehicles;

58.3 avoid an excessive demand for investment in major infrastructure in urban areas other than that necessary to integrate new or existing areas into the overall urban system of which they are part;

58.4 avoid the negative consequences of continued unrestrained growth in private mobility;

58.5 pursue a 'Public Transport First' policy which advances the interests of public transport over those of private transport, improving significantly the overall quality of public transport services available.

More productive use of available transport resources

59.. A perverse consequence of apartheid has been that while many less-developed areas were under-resourced with road facilities, the urban areas of which they form part have become relatively well endowed with major movement resources, both road space and public transport movement systems. Because the land use disposition such facilities were intended to serve were so inefficiently located, all such movement systems are under-utilised, resulting in low levels of productivity and cost recovery. In addition, inadequate attention was often given to ensure that the optimum productivity of which the existing system was capable was being achieved before proposals were made to extend the system.

60. In order to make better use of existing, available movement resources, not only should a more efficient land use disposition be adopted but a rigorous, systematic and comprehensive approach adopted in each urban area to improve throughput on all links of the movement system by the widespread application of traffic system management and system engineering measures. These should concentrate initially on those routes upon which there is a high concentration of bus and minibus-taxi traffic with management effort aimed at maximising person-throughput rather than vehicle-throughput, reducing delays for public transport vehicles.

61. The existing utilisation rates of all current movement assets, including higher order roads, bus, rail and minibus-taxis should be defined in all transport plans submitted for approval and the specific strategy adopted to increase utilisation rates identified. The specific contribution which changes to the land use disposition and the application of urban transport management measures make to increasing the productive use of available resources should be stated separately. Transport authorities are expected to demonstrate that the optimum and most productive use is being made of existing transport infrastructure and resources before additions and extensions to the system are proposed. This must extend beyond conventional traffic engineering and traffic management measures and include safety engineering and public transport operational and marketing measures. The specific detailed strategies adopted must be made explicit in all transport plans submitted for approval and the specific contribution urban management measures are expected to make in improving overall traffic conditions stated.

62. The need for extending system capability (that is, aggregate capacity) in each urban area should stem from strategic considerations relating to broader development objectives and not simply as a reaction to increasing demands for transport. Any proposed increase in system capability must be consistent with the primary intention of overall spatial development policy, that is containment, intensification and integration, requiring a reduction in average trip lengths. Such increases in capacity are only justified on the basis of integrating new areas into the broader urban movement system or where there is a broader development objective, the attainment of which will bring major benefits to the area concerned.

63. Consequently, other than for integrating new areas or realising strategic reconstruction and development objectives, approval will not be given to any urban transport scheme or programme which has as its primary intention the facilitation of long-distance trip making. However, improvements will be considered where the primary intention is to improve system utilisation, that is to use existing spare capacity inherent in the system, either by eliminating a bottle-neck or by the addition of a new link in the system. The extent and contribution of the improvement in system utilisation which will be achieved should be demonstrated. While it is recognised that almost all such actions lead to increases in system capability as well, the primary intention remains to increase system productivity through the better utilisation of existing, available resources, not increasing system capability in response to demand, and all intended actions should be directed towards this end.

More equitable distribution of available road space resources

64. Where increases in system capability should be targeted is towards improving public transport operating conditions, either through increasing overall capability by undertaking specific traffic management measures which also benefit general traffic such as intersection improvement schemes, or else through strategic investment in improvements specifically targeted at improving public transport throughput, for example, dedicated lanes. The intention in all instances is to increase person-throughput rather than vehicle-throughput. Where road-based public transport services share the same road space as general traffic, they are subject to the same delays, resulting in a poor perception of service quality and reliability. As general traffic volumes increase so the situation worsens with negative consequences for the public transport services involved with increasing levels of dissatisfaction, loss of ridership and reduced service levels, while person-throughput in the section inevitably reduces. Where there is competing demand for limited resources - that is, available road space - a strategic decision has to be taken on the allocation of these resources to the various elements of demand.

Restraint on private car use, particularly during peak periods

65. There has been a rapid increase in the use of private motor vehicles, particularly during the peak periods, with more trips and longer journeys occurring in most urban areas. This has resulted in a rapid increase in fuel utilisation and ever-worsening journey conditions. In metropolitan Cape Town this growth in trips and longer journeys has resulted in a rapid deterioration in environmental conditions, particularly atmospheric pollution. These high motorisation rates have also impacted negatively on the performance of the road-based public transport system in the metropolitan area, increasing operating costs and decreasing its attractiveness. However, there still remains considerable scope for increased car ownership if judged by world standards, with car ownership rates possibly doubling that of current levels within the foreseeable future. If the vehicle growth rates of the 1980s are retained throughout the 1990s, total vehicle volumes will have increased by a further 50% by the turn of the century, with the total number of cars having doubled in less than twenty years. This will have a very negative impact on road network performance in most major urban areas with far higher levels of congestion and a significant reduction in operating speeds. This will result in an untenable position unless informed intervention takes place now and a measure of sustainability is achieved.

66. In terms of the Urban Transport Act, as amended, the province is empowered to set levies on particular groups and classes of vehicles entering urban areas. To ensure that private car users bear a greater proportion of their costs, it is intended to ensure that parking fees are set at more realistic levels than at present. Accordingly, it is a requirement for all transport plans submitted for approval that they include a comprehensive parking policy. The policy should include the amount of parking which currently exists, the amount which it is intended to provide in the future in each industrial, commercial and business area on a zone-by-zone basis and for each category of user and to define the schedule of charges it is intended to adopt. For short- and long-term on-street parking and for public off-street parking, parking charges should be increased to a base level where the cost attributed to the provision, maintenance and operation of parking, together with the opportunity costs of land, should be recovered from user charges without the need for direct or indirect public subsidy. The actual cost will be determined by the adoption of appropriate price/duration structures which regulate demand to conform to the supply which is available and to achieve required parking performance standards of occupancy, turnover, etc. In addition, the amount of long-term parking provided should reflect the required modal split and the proportion of the road network capacity serving each area available for terminating trips. This would establish the upper threshold of the amount of long-term parking which should be provided in each area, including all on­street bays used for long­term parking. In all urban areas, all long­term parking bays, including both public and private bays on-street and off-street will be licensed by the metropolitan authority or local authority, which would maintain a register of such bays. The use of all public long-term parking would be charged, such parking charges being recovered possibly by means of a prepaid daily, weekly or monthly voucher which would be displayed on the vehicle.

67. Furthermore, all long-term parking, both public and private, on-street and off-street will be levied, the amount of the levy varying depending on the perceived contribution the use of such parking bays has on general congestion levels on the road network. The amount of the levy would be built into the public long-term parking charge. The amount of parking it is proposed to provide and the price at which it is to be charged should be an integral component of all urban transport plans and consistent with all other policy proposals. Urban transport authorities are requested to set such prices at realistic levels. If it is felt that the pricing levels are set artificially low, the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works reserves the right of establishing the base price of parking within the metropolitan transport area in terms of Section 21 of the Urban Transport Act, 1977, as amended

Increase modal split in favour of public transport

68. Total trips and the distribution of trip lengths determine the total demand for movement, mode choice the way in which such demand is to be accommodated, while the land use distribution determines the degree of relative efficiency with which movement resources can be provided. These are all susceptible to planned intervention. It is one of the strategic objectives of the Land Passenger Transport Policy Framework that the use of public transport should be promoted over private car travel, 'with the goal of achieving a ratio of 80:20 between public transport and private car usage". The current mode choice figure in metropolitan Cape Town for the journey to work is 49:44:7 (public:private:walk). The actual figures for other large urban areas in the Western Cape are not known but are thought to be significantly lower, in favour of private transport. All urban transport plans submitted for approval must give the existing modal split for the journey to work and identify a target modal split for some future time. The future modal split must show the intention of moving in the direction of the national modal split target and must be consistent with other policy variables. It should be an integral part of the strategic position adopted towards urban restructuring, the reduction of trip lengths and increased system utilisation together with the nature of anticipated infrastructure investment programmes.

section g.3 : proposals

Spatial Considerations

G3.1 Principles of urban restructuring:

The following seven principles should form the basis of urban restructuring:

G3.2 Underlying urban development vision:

The declaration of an agreed urban development vision is an essential component of all urban transport plans submitted for approval. It should result from dialogue between each level of government and civil society, based upon commonly agreed principles and values and expressed as a set of policies and strategies.

G3.3 The role of transport policy in job creation:

Urban transport policy must be used proactively to create jobs directly within the transport sector and indirectly through increased development opportunities resulting from improved accessibility.

G3.4 The use of transport routes as key structuring devices:

Development corridors and nodes will be promoted, supplemented by a relatively dense tertiary order road network. High-density mixed-use development should be encouraged. Development corridors should focus on public transport as the basis for movement. Development should be discouraged in areas less well served by public transport.

G3.5 The role of land pricing instruments:

The introduction of a Development Tax on all proposed non-residential developments inconsistent with an approved land use plan, and the payment of a Development Grant on all proposed non residential developments which are consistent with an approved land use plan, should be explored jointly with the relevant National Ministers and MECs. The introduction of an Undeveloped Land Tax on undeveloped land strategically positioned in terms of any approved land use plan should also be explored.

G3.6 Urban restructuring and the demand for movement:

Land use policies should be adopted which have as a target a reduction in average trip lengths in each urban area. For those areas where average trip lengths for the journey to work are greater than 10 km a target of a 20% reduction by the year 2010 should be adopted. In addition a land use disposition should be adopted which minimises the amount of additional transport infrastructure which is needed but maximises the use of existing spare capacity.

Transport considerations

G3.7 General principles of urban transport policy:

There are five primary intentions of this policy

G3.8 More productive use of transport resources:

A rigorous, systematic and comprehensive approach should be adopted in each urban area to improve throughput on all links of the movement system by the widespread application of traffic system management and system engineering measures. The existing utilisation rates of all current movement assets should be defined in all transport plans and a specific strategy adopted to increase utilisation rates. These strategies must be made explicit and the specific contribution urban management measures are expected to make in improving overall traffic conditions stated. Other than for integrating new areas or realising strategic reconstruction and development objectives, approval will not be given to any urban transport scheme or programme which has as its primary intention the facilitation of long distance trip making. Improvements will be considered where the primary intention is to improve system utilisation. The extent and contribution of the improvement to improved system utilisation should be demonstrated.

G3.9 More equitable distribution of available road space resources:

Increases in system capability should be targeted towards improving public transport operating conditions. Where public transport shares the same road space as general traffic the allocation of available road space should be based upon the principle of maximising person throughput not vehicle throughput.

G3.10 Restraint on private car use:

All transport plans should include a comprehensive parking policy indicating the amount of parking it is intended to provide on a zone by zone basis and the schedule of charges it is intended to adopt. This should be consistent with the required modal split and the amount to road space available for trips that terminate in each area. A register of all parking bays should be kept and all public long-term parking should be charged. In addition levies will be imposed on all long term parking, both public and private, on street and off street. Province will ensure that parking prices and parking levies are set at realistic levels in terms of Section 21 of the Urban Transport Act, as amended.

G3.11 Increased public transport component in the modal split:

All urban transport plans must give the existing modal split for the journey to work and identify a target modal split. This must show the intention of moving toward the national modal split target and be consistent with other policy variables.

SECTION H - TRANSPORT AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

SECTION H.1: KEY ISSUES

69. According to the 1991 census the province of the Western Cape has the second most urbanised population in South Africa, about 87% of the total population living in urban areas. It is dominated by the Cape Town metropolitan area which has 66% of the total population and 71% of the urban population. Other urban areas account for 21% of the total population of the province. While only a small percentage of the total population, 13%, live in rural areas, this represents a total rural population of about 500,000 people, the majority of whom are poor, living on farms and in small rural settlements, remote from economic and social opportunities and from essential public services such as health, welfare, education, etc. Also, the reliance by rural dwellers on walking as the principal means of transport and the absence of separate pedestrian facilities on rural roads, exposes them to excessively high safety risks, particularly at night.

70. The relative economic strength of each of these settlements is a function of the degree of specialisation which exists. With a strong agricultural base in the Western Cape, and increasing export opportunities, the economic strength of rural settlements where there is a strong market-orientated infrastructure and resources is likely to grow. However, this must be viewed against a general decline in the economic performance of rural settlements throughout the province, relative to the growth in the metropolitan area. There are a multitude of factors which have contributed towards this, not least the dual demographic and economic structure which exists in most of the settlements and the system of economic dependency which has been established. Regulatory measures and the decline in rural manufacturing has resulted in an increasing focus towards larger urban areas.

71. A primary contributory factor has been the urban bias of the majority of previous transport programmes and plans and the emphasis given to satisfying motorisation needs, both urban and rural. This has tended to isolate the rural poor from policy consideration and understanding, with their distinct problems and needs. The transportation problems which are experienced are numerous, but are generally characterised by remoteness, dependency and unaffordability. Distances to many necessary services are high which are consequently either totally inaccessible or else impose high transport costs, due to the supply of public transport being restricted to a small number of service providers who accordingly are in a position to exploit this situation. In addition, because of the extent of poverty and the degree of remoteness, farm workers in particular are totally reliant on farmers to provide for their most basic needs, including the provision of transport to the nearest small town. Where public transport does exist, it is often so expensive, in relative terms, that inaccessibility and immobility remain.

72. However, these transport problems are purely symptomatic of a far broader rural malaise which stems from a broader need to gain better access to land and capital, to increase access to markets and distribution facilities and to integrate remote areas with a broad hierarchy of settlements using transport as one of the necessary instruments.

SECTION H.2: RECOMMENDATIONS

73. The relationship between transport and development is as important in rural circumstances as in urban, if not greater, due to the absolute nature of poverty, the fragility of many existing rural systems and the scarcity of adequate structures and organisations to take responsibility for improving the situation. Consequently, transport initiatives must be part of a broader rural development strategy and be integrated with other sectoral initiatives into a structured programme and plan.

74. The need to establish an appropriate Rural Development Strategy for the Western Cape including plans for the growth and development of small towns is one of the highest priorities and will require cooperation and collaboration between all provincial departments as well as district, local and rural councils. It should recognise the need to create balance in the system of settlements and should aim to establish a rural development programme which will lead to an integrated and viable settlement hierarchy. In addition, it should support local needs and nurture local initiatives, encourage value-added production through the establishment of local processing industries, and facilitate the mobilisation of the full economic capability of rural settlements and the retention of wealth. To this end it should advance the formation of periodic markets to encourage local production, to strengthen the economic base and to act as a focus for the provision of mobile social services. It must ensure that people living in rural areas have access to the full range of essential public services to which they are entitled and social and economic opportunities through which development can occur.

75. The vital role of transport in ensuring the sustainability of emerging economic activity and in attaining minimum standards of access to public facilities is recognised. It is anticipated that transport proposals will form part of strategic approaches to development and will be endorsed by the relevant district development council. Provincial support will concentrate on :

Imaginative use of available transport services will be encouraged, diversity of use between different classes of passenger and goods services characterising success. Without compromising the current legal competencies of other Departments, consideration could be given to the use of school buses for fare-paying passengers and the use of municipal vehicles to assist small farmers to convey goods to markets and deliver seed and fertiliser at marginal cost. Subsidies will be made available to support such local initiatives where they form part of an integrated development programme, including the establishment of periodic markets. This will include providing financial support to other departments which provide transport services - health, education, welfare, etc. and necessary amendments will be included in the White Paper which will make allowance for such actions to occur.

76. The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will take an active role in the establishment of a Rural Development Strategy for the Western Cape and in the production of district development plans. It retains the responsibility for ensuring that rural transport infrastructure facilities and services are provided and for granting permission for inter-provincial public transport services. It is anticipated that the provision of contract services will also be necessary for the realisation of adequate levels of socially necessary public transport services and the necessary financial support will be provided by the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works.

77. Because of the distinct and sensitive nature of rural transport issues and the degree of support necessary to encourage local initiatives, a Sub-Directorate: Rural Transport should be established in the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works.

section H.3 : proposals

H3.1 Transport initiatives must be part of a broader rural development strategy and be integrated with other sectoral initiatives into a structured programme and plan. The establishment of an appropriate Rural Development Strategy for the Western Cape including plans for the growth and development of small towns is a high priority. The vital role of transport in ensuring the sustainability of emerging economic activity and in attaining minimum standards of access to public facilities is recognised. Provincial support will concentrate on small-scale low capital-intensive and innovative initiatives which build capacity and capability and will support local organisations and structures which show competence and resourcefulness. A range of innovative public transport services and support will be provided to ensure that acceptable standards of access to basic facilities are realised through the provision of socially-necessary services.

The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will take an active role in the establishment of a Rural Development Strategy for the Western Cape and in the production of district development plans.

SECTION I - PUBLIC TRANSPORT PLANNING AND OPERATIONS

SECTION I.1 ISSUES

78. Urban public transport problems and issues have a long history and are complicated and diverse. They have their origins in the inefficiencies and inequities which have arisen from apartheid land use structures which makes it virtually impossible to operate a viable public transport system at reasonable cost due to the nature of travel demand which has to be accommodated. Low average residential densities, long trip distances and unbalanced flows, because of the particular distribution of land use activities, have together resulted in low system utilisation with high costs of service provision and low cost recovery.

79. The operation of public transport in the Western Cape has never been a local authority responsibility, having been provided by a number of privately-owned bus companies and minibus taxi operators and, in the metropolitan area, a state-owned rail authority. This, together with the apartheid nature of local governance, relegated public transport matters to secondary concern with the quality and extent of public transport services available being considered as matters essentially outside of local concern or influence. Consequently, appropriate organisational and institutional structures were not established to take local responsibility for the effective management of public transport and to ensure that it was operated in the broader public interest. As a result, until recently, there have been no substantive efforts to improve the overall quality of public transport or to integrate the broader issues of public transport planning and operation into the broader urban transport policy debate.

80. These factors have given rise to a multitude of very negative public perceptions towards public transport relating to quality of service, costs, safety, crime, crowding, frequency, reliability, shelter, the availability of information, etc.. With the important role ascribed to public transport in future urban policy making, this is no longer acceptable and a major effort is required to significantly improve the situation.

SECTION I.2 OVERVIEW

81. Overall provincial transport policy has as its primary urban intent restructuring, providing more equitable and developmentally effective urban systems, particularly in the metropolitan area, to enable the provision of a truly efficient transport system which is viable and sustainable and enhances the economic growth potential of the province. Central to this intent is a much­expanded role for public transport through the adoption of a 'public transport first' policy which gives preference to public transport over general traffic and at all levels from policy consideration to the provision of infrastructure. The policy encourages the establishment of a vastly improved and extended network of public transport services which better address user needs and offer a genuine alternative to private mobility for the majority of people at prices which are affordable.

82. A truly viable and sustainable system will not come about unless there is absolute commitment to this course of action with broader spatial and transport policies being adopted which are consistent and supportive of this position. For a just and equitable transportation policy to be established, public transport must become the primary determinant of urban transport efficiency. If an urban area works well, based upon the extent, range and quality of its public transport services, and is accessible and affordable to all, then the urban system can be said to be efficient and the transport system just. It is assumed that if it works well for those people with limited choice, it will work successfully for those with the greater choice afforded by private transport.

83. For too long public transport has been under-financed and under-managed and has been of secondary concern in the construction of policies and the ordering of priorities. Meeting the increasing growth in traffic movement by private vehicle has been the primary concern in most urban transport plans and has resulted in the establishment of an urban system which has many negative attributes for the efficient and effective functioning of public transport. Because the principle of sustainable transport does not rely on demand as the sole (or even primary) basis for policy, far greater attention must be paid to identifying the key problems requiring solution and to deal with them in a manner which achieves sustained, systematic improvements. In particular, every opportunity must be taken to improve and extend the range and quality of public transport services available to levels which are both socially acceptable and affordable while ensuring financial viability within the industry.

84. Unless an environment, in its widest sense, is created which is conducive to the establishment of truly viable and sustainable public transport systems, reconciling all policy variables to this common purpose, no amount of change within the industry itself will produce a system which is other than inefficient and costly.

SECTION I.3 RECOMMENDATIONS

The importance of planning

85. For the construction of public transport policies and strategies to be successful, it is essential that public transport is considered as an integral component of the urban land use structure and movement system and not considered in isolation. For viable and affordable public transport systems to be established and to remain sustainable, public transport policies and strategies should form an integral part of overall developmental, spatial and movement policies contained in the overall land use­transport plan. Consequently, for the long-term success of public transport, full consideration must be given to the influence and likely impact alternative movement and land use policies may have on :

86. Once such an overall landuse-transport plan is in place, for each urban area an operational plan for public transport should be prepared detailing the various management and operational issues it is intended to address to place public transport on a sound footing. This should include a 'quality charter' which establishes optimum service levels and ensures that public passenger transport services are operated in the public interest and meet agreed standards. It should identify the routes and services to be submitted to public tender and the preparation of service specifications. This delineation of routes and services will not only be based upon existing operations, but will have the specific intent of expanding the network of routes and services to meet social needs. The operational plan for public transport will form part of the overall land use-transport policy framework which itself will be an integral part of a broader urban development programme.

Modal split targets

87. It is a national strategic objective to promote the use of public transport over private transport with the goal of achieving a ratio of 80:20 between public transport and private car usage. The current modal split figures for the journey to work in metropolitan Cape Town is 49:44:7 (public:private:walk/other). It is proposed that a suitable target for the year 2005 is 54:34:12, any reduction in the target for 'walk/other' being reflected in an increased share by public transport.

88. If this metropolitan target is achieved and in addition average trip lengths are reduced by the required amount, it has been demonstrated that overall travel by private car will have been contained to current levels and a sustainable position realised, certainly as far as travel by private car is concerned. By comparison travel by public transport will have increased by over 30%. For other urban areas the existing modal split figures for the journey to work must be determined and a target modal split established consistent with the intent of the national strategic objective.

89. Reducing average trip lengths on all modes and redirecting growth to produce more balanced flows through the adoption of appropriate land use strategies will increase system productivity and the utilisation of existing spare capacity on all transport systems

Maximum delegation to local authorities

90. To be successful, planning should be comprehensive and integrated, involving all modes of transport together with spatial and development considerations and should be undertaken by the lowest competent level of government. In particular, lower levels of government need to be equipped to accept full responsibility for the operational and functional performance of all forms of public transport in their area of jurisdiction and to actively engage in resolving current problems and issues and 'growing the industry'. While national and provincial government will provide resources and other forms of support, both to the industry and to the various transport authorities, unless lower levels of government such as metropolitan and local councils accept the responsibility for the provision of service and are accountable for its performance to their broader constituencies, improvement of the form and scale necessary will not be achieved. It should not be inferred that local authorities should take over the operating responsibilities for public transport. While they should specify the services which are required, it remains the role of the private sector to provide and operate such services.

91. Accordingly, it is intended to delegate ascribed provincial functions and responsibilities to the metropolitan and local urban transport authorities, including the following:-

91.1 the registration of all road-based public transport operators operating entirely within the specific area of jurisdiction, with copies to the Provincial Registrar;

91.2 verifying that the performance, safety and financial stipulations have been satisfied by the applicant;

91.3 the granting of authority to operate, subject to an approved transport plan, with permit issuing to be performed by the Provincial Board;

91.4 the provision of business support and advice, liaison, coordination and the implementation of training.

92. Local and metropolitan transport authorities could also be responsible for all other matters identified in the National Land Passenger Transport Policy Framework for the efficient provision, administration and operation of local public transport systems including the following key aspects:

92.1 calling for, evaluation and awarding tenders for contracted public transport services and the preparation of tender specifications;

92.2 remuneration of service provision;

92.3 the control of service delivery through the setting of standards;

92.4 establishment of fare structures, fare increases and fare concessions for all modes in consultation with stakeholders;

92.5 marketing and publicity associated with the provision of transport services;

92.6 the provision of passenger information;

92.7 control of the right to operate on routes and at ranks and termini through permissions, contracts and concessions

93. The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will retain responsibility for establishing overall policies, strategies and procedures and for establishing appropriate norms and standards. It will also retain the responsibility for coordinating the activities of other transport authorities into an overall provincial programme and in assisting lower tiers of government in undertaking their responsibilities. However, it will retain full responsibility for the organisation of all public transport services which cross areas of jurisdiction, for example between districts and between provinces.

The need for a gradual approach to reform in the public transport industry

94. Public transport is a major strategic industry which not only provides the means of access to employment for about half the metropolitan work force, but provides the sole means of mobility for a multitude of other trip purposes - shopping, business, recreation, social, etc., and an essential service for people needing to access medical and social welfare facilities. There has been considerable instability in the industry in the last decade and it will take much effort to restore confidence and create the conditions for growth and stability which are required. Because of its vital importance to so many people, during this period of change and transformation, every effort must be made to create and retain conditions of stability, confidence and calm, and the maintenance of acceptable levels of service. This will only be achieved by full consultation and involvement between the public transport industry and each local or metropolitan transport authority. This will take time, particularly in the larger urban areas, and the amount of consistent, applied effort that will be necessary must not be under-estimated.

95. Any programme of transformation should be considered in three distinct phases :-

Phase 1: Conversion to the proposed system of regulation in the form of permissions, contracts, or concessions, but with no change to existing operations :

All existing bus and taxi operators will be required to register with the provincial registrar. Procedures will be developed for legalising existing illegal operators. Existing bus permits on subsidised routes will be converted into interim contracts or into an interim concession for a network of routes. All current area-wide or radius permits for minibus-taxis will be converted to route permits, all permits being changed to operating permissions.

Phase 2A: Building of capacity in the industry, together with the acquisition of performance data :~

This would take the form of management and business training and assistance in the development of internal management systems, such as financial control systems, to enable the minibus-taxi industry to participate in the formal system through tendered contracts. These and other incentives would only be available to formal, registered bodies such as companies, co-operatives or associations. At the same time, all existing bus and minibus-taxi routes and services would be intensely monitored in order to build a comprehensive data base on all aspects of current performance - schedules, waybills, and all relevant cost and revenue data. This period would be coincident with the development of the operational plan for public transport, the preparation of which would involve all stakeholders.

Phase 2B: Building of capacity at the provincial and local levels of government :~

As well as building capacity in the industry itself, it is as essential to build capacity and capability in those organisations which will be involved in the regulation and administration of public transport. This also would take the form of management and business training and the development of internal management systems, such as financial control systems. The establishment of appropriate processes and procedures will be necessary to ensure consistency and uniformity throughout the province.

Phase 3: Restructuring of the industry and the implementation of the public transport plan :~

The plan would identify the operating and service strategy it was intended to pursue and would form the basis of the packaging of services and the preparation of tender documents. Associations would be encouraged to form co-operatives, the underlying intention being to transform the industry into a number of formal, well-organised and well-structured business units. When contracts are put out to public tender, bus companies as well as taxi co-operatives can submit tenders, either separately or jointly.

96. It is anticipated that a similar programme will be followed in each major urban area.

The role of rail

97. Metropolitan Cape Town is fortunate to have such a well-established, though ageing, rail system. Every effort should be made to enhance the performance of the system to ensure that the full potential of which it is capable is being realised. It must be satisfactorily integrated into the overall movement system and the existing infrastructure and facilities used optimally. This will require a comprehensive modernisation programme to ensure that the quality, availability and security of the service more closely meets existing and potential user needs and requirements..

98. Any proposal to provide or extend mass public transport services, including rail services, must be consistent with overall development aims as well as issues of overall operational and economic efficiency. The provision of a new line should result from consideration of a range of possible alternatives and careful analysis of development effectiveness. This includes such factors as the amount of direct employment which results from the provision of services together with the amount of indirect employment resulting from development opportunities which arise from the provision of stations or stops along the line of route. In addition, proposals should be consistent with proposals for urban restructuring, the distribution of opportunities and the attainment of the broader principles of the RDP. Provincial government will only be prepared to contribute financially to extending service provision if these criteria are fully met.

99. Once any proposal has been shown to be developmentally effective, the operational and economic merits should be explored to enable alternatives to be compared. Any economic evaluation should reflect the full economic costs such as pollution, congestion and accident costs as well as relative changes in land values, that are associated with the various alternatives under consideration. It should also reflect the different life cycles that exist between road-based and rail-based investment strategies.

100. With the current national policy framework proposals, the national transport authority will own the rail infrastructure and rolling stock and any improvements in either will be primarily a national responsibility. While this is not yet an area of provincial competence, the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works would be prepared to consider providing limited financial assistance for improving the utilisation of existing services, increasing the operating flexibility of existing lines and to assist in realising the full potential of the existing system. This is contingent upon evidence of increasing financial discipline, particularly in the area of fare collection.

101. It is anticipated that the operational responsibility for rail services in the Western Cape will be devolved to Province in the foreseeable future, but the national transport authority will retain ownership of infrastructure and rolling stock. When this occurs, it is intended to delegate responsibility for the operation of the metropolitan rail services to the metropolitan transport authority. Capital investment in new services should be aimed at the reintegration of the existing urban structure and should be a shared responsibility between central government and the metropolitan transport authority. This sharing of responsibility ensures that the full range of possible investments, both within the transport market and between the transport and land use markets, have been considered at the metropolitan level.

102. The identification of operating subsidy responsibilities is more complicated than capital subsidies. Ideally, there should be some defined formula which allocates subsidy resources from central government to the metropolitan areas on a common basis as is the case in many other countries. Often these subsidies are matched with contributions from provincial and municipal governments. This ' fixed formula' approach remains an ideal towards which central government should move; it places responsibility for how the subsidy is applied together with the consequences for transport and land use policies on the costs of rail operation where it rightly belongs, at the metropolitan level while, in addition, being seen to be a fair and just system for allocating central financial resources between metropolitan areas.

Restructuring the road-based public transport industry

103. The main problem facing the road-based public transport industry, comprising essentially buses and minibus taxis, in metropolitan Cape Town is the lack of diversity and variety in the range of services provided and instability and violence in the minibus-taxi industry. At present, the industry is characterised on the basis of mode with little product or service differentiation within each mode. Growth in the public transport industry of the scale necessary will be unattainable unless there is increasing diversity in the range of services provided and a broader mix of vehicle sizes and capacities. The introduction of vehicle restraint measures and increased cost accountability within the private transport market through higher licence fees and parking charges will significantly increase the number of choice riders wishing to use public transport. International experience has shown that road-based public passenger transport is likely to be cost effective and meet passenger requirements and needs when there is product differentiation and a range of different services is provided. These different services may use a mix of different vehicles which meet the different levels of passenger demand for quantity and quality. Operators must be free to choose the most appropriate vehicle to provide service and any legal constraints on size and capacity must be removed. While the recent relaxation from 16- to 25-seater vehicles was a significant step forward, nevertheless it still maintains an unnecessary constraint for operators on vehicle choice.

104. It is possible to provide a variety of services such as:

105. In any particular urban area, it is highly unlikely that such a diverse service mix would be desirable or feasible, but it illustrates the richness in the service mix which is possible. Each of the service types has totally different service attributes as well as different cost structures. The requirements for each type of service and the specific fare level which would apply for each would be determined as part of the operational plan for public transport. Services would be submitted to public tender. By differentiating the market into several market segments, each serviced by a particular product with differential prices, allows the market, that is, the mix of users with their diverse needs and preferences, to determine the production rate in each service category based upon the demand for service. The intent is to lead to a situation where there is a range of distinctly different road-based public transport services operating in the market, each responding to a different market segment. This would take the form of a network of integrated and coordinated services. However, the characteristics of demand are constantly changing and new opportunities emerging. Transport authorities and operators alike must be sufficiently responsive to these opportunities and adaptive to changes in the existing market. This must be recognised in the form of contract arrangements adopted.

106. The network of services would be characterised by a range of service types such as:

106.1 a basic service network of low-cost public passenger transport services providing a reasonably frequent, reliable, line-haul service on heavily utilised routes. These are the socially necessary services providing a regular service throughout the day, evening and weekends. Minimum service levels are based upon social standards and are provided on the grounds of social welfare, providing a minimum standard of access to opportunity, unrelated to actual demand. Appropriate norms and standards will be determined by the provincial transport authority in conjunction with metropolitan and local transportation authorities and relevant user groups for both urban and rural applications;

106.2 a supplementary network of market-orientated services, such as express, limited stop or trunk services, using a wide variety of vehicle types, marketed as totally different products with better levels of comfort and frequency but at higher fares;

106.3 other local area services, such as area-bound services and feeder services, where the need for such services can be justified.

107. This is a form of regulated competition between different service types which may operate on the same route or section of route. It is based on achieving substantial growth in public transport, not simply regulating the existing status quo. Competition on a route between the same services will not be permitted. The intent for each urban area is to establish a basic network of socially necessary services operating in the public interest, supplemented by a range of products which respond to the broad mix of market needs. It is possible in certain areas that only the socially necessary services will be provided and there will be little or no demand for supplementary services.

Specific support to the minibus-taxi industry

108. A central aim of provincial transport policy is the restructuring of the public transport industry and placing it on a sound operational and financial base. It encourages the establishment of a vastly enriched and diverse public transport system based upon maximising the utilisation of the existing rail system in the metropolitan area and with a significant expansion in the provision of road-based public transport services throughout the province. This is premised on an enhanced and expanded role for minibus-taxis, encouraging the transformation of the industry into a number of formal, well-organised and well-structured business units offering a far wider range of services and with a broader mix of vehicle sizes. Their essential contribution in the provision of public mobility is recognised and has been ascribed a key role in significantly expanding and improving the function which public transport must play in the metropolitan area and in the province generally. Projected growth in the industry will provide opportunities for reducing any imbalances which may exist in route allocation, permits and ranking facilities. An increasingly external, business-orientated focus with the essential aim of growing the industry and providing a far stronger economic base is the primary objective.

109. Transformation of the minibus-taxi industry, accompanied by growth and stability, will not be achieved by the industry acting alone. It is notoriously under-resourced and lacks adequate capacity to effect substantial and permanent change through its own initiatives. What is required is a genuine partnership between the industry and the various levels of transport authority. To achieve this, the various transport authorities must be able to earn credibility and trust, demonstrate that they have the long-term interests of the taxi industry at heart and show that they have the ability to effect beneficial change. The taxi industry must in turn recognise that its long-term interests are best achieved by collaboration and cooperation with the various transport authorities and the necessary re-introduction of regulations to bring stability and control back into the industry. It must also play a role in ensuring that its members abide by the code of conduct and by the law. In cases of violations, it is expected that they would voluntarily take civil measures against their members including normal disciplinary procedures, suspension or ultimately expulsion.

110. Once a degree of stability and control has been achieved through the registration of the existing operators and the definition of existing services which each provides, the partnership should start empowering and building capacity within the industry, through the allocation of specific training and the creation of specific business skills and resources, the establishment of codes of conduct and the adoption of a standard constitution. Further assistance would take the form of that defined in the recommendations of the NTTT.

111. The provincial transport authority, through the various local and metropolitan transport authorities and with national support, will provide the necessary assistance to enable the following services to be provided:

111.1 provide more and better terminals and ranking facilities and establish management committees to manage such terminals, not only in traffic terms but in exploiting commercial opportunities which such facilities generate;

111.2 assist in the purchase of vehicles for new routes and experimental services;

111.3 assist in the provision of service and maintenance facilities;

111.4 facilitate group insurance contracts, legal advice and assistance;

111.5 facilitate group discounts on vehicles, spares, tyres, etc.;

111.6 assist in the training of drivers and mechanics;

111.7 undertake market research and public relations in conjunction with, and on behalf of, the minibus-taxi industry;

111.8 facilitate the provision of business skills programmes;

111.9 assist in advertising, promotion and sales effort, particularly through the provision of information concerning routes, operating schedules, etc.;

111.10 help stimulate new business development (new routes and services, private hire, goods delivery, etc.);

111.11 help reduce all other input and running costs wherever possible as contained in the NTTT recommendations;

111.12 establish and maintain the Provincial Taxi Office and the Provincial Registrar

112. These benefits will only be available to those cooperatives which are prepared to enter into the partnership and who observe appropriate codes of conduct. The overriding aim is to create a single, united road-based public transport industry offering a range of service types with a broad mix of vehicles, supplied by a number of formally constituted organisations and groupings. The aim of providing support is to assist in bringing this change about. It is anticipated that to achieve a united industry will require targeted, specific support being extended to bus operators as well.

113. Providing resources to the industry acts as an incentive to it to cooperate and to modify behaviour in order to achieve the financial benefits which are available and to achieve growth and stability. Co-operatives would play a greater self-regulatory role, particularly relating to the observance of traffic laws such as driver licensing, vehicle licensing and maintenance, and moving vehicle and parking violations. Those who would not be prepared to cooperate would be excluded from the benefits. Agreements would have to be reached with the industry on ways to regulate and control entry to the market.

114. Nevertheless, incentives by themselves will be insufficient to bring the necessary regulation and control back into the industry. It is intended that at all levels of authority and in all areas within the provincial area of jurisdiction there will be strict adherence to the rule of law. It is a priority of the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works to investigate current legal constraints which may inhibit effective law enforcement. If necessary, existing legislation will be amended and extended in line with this policy to ensure compliance and to fully equip all law enforcement agencies in undertaking their responsibilities and duties. Magistrates, provincial, metropolitan and local traffic police will have to be trained and empowered to implement and enforce such legislation.

The role of local authorities

115. It is the role of all transport authorities to facilitate public transport through the provision of infrastructure and the introduction of appropriate traffic management measures. They can make substantial improvements in the viability of public transport operations by providing priorities for public transport vehicles such as dedicated lanes, bus pre-emption at traffic signals and separate routes for the exclusive use of public transport vehicles.

116. In addition, existing public transport services can be actively promoted by strengthening their 'presence', principally through better bus- and taxi-stop facilities, and appropriately liveried shelters for protection from the weather. In addition, on all routes, adequate information should be provided at stopping facilities showing at the very least the routes served and the services operated. Considerable efforts should be made to produce usable timetables for scheduled services which include either intermediate timings or approximate headways, as well as to provide effective and well-designed information displays at key stops. Services should be distinguished by the adoption of appropriate liveries and routes distinguished by the use of route numbers and destination blinds.

117. All public transport routes should be surfaced and adequately maintained, not only to ensure adequate levels of user comfort but to minimise the costs of service provision. In addition, all modal interchange facilities including bus and railway stations, taxi ranks and terminals should be properly constructed and maintained, adequate for the demand they are expected to accommodate. This should include adequate provision for pedestrian and cycle movement, not only at interchange points, but also to allow safe and convenient access to public transport routes from adjacent areas. They should reflect an image of top quality design, cleanliness, convenience and security. Every opportunity should be taken to exploit to the fullest the trading opportunities and facilities present.

118. To pursue the 'public transport first' policy every effort must be made to increase the attractiveness of the existing public transport services and to increase ridership. This should not be profound or difficult and, given the necessary cooperation and collaboration between authorities and associations and the appropriate allocation of authority, responsibility and accountability to local and metropolitan transport authorities, should be readily obtainable. The development of a viable, affordable public transport system both in urban areas and throughout the province remains of the highest priority and will be a primary focus of provincial financial support.

Safety and security

119. Concern about the lack of personal safety and security on public transport services is a long-standing issue. The high incidence of crime associated with the rail system, the widespread dissatisfaction with the operating safety of minibus-taxis relating to exposure to accidents and driver behaviour, together with periodic conflict in the taxi industry, are the aspects of most concern to public transport users. A totally unacceptable situation has been allowed to develop, which is of extreme concern. The maintenance of appropriate and acceptable levels of personal safety is of overwhelming importance to user and operator alike and is one of the key attributes of mode choice. In particular, reducing the incidence of violence against women, children, and the elderly, has to be given special attention in and around public transport facilities. Perceptions of personal safety influence the number of passengers who use a particular mode as evidenced by the fluctuations and changes in mode choice which have been observed in metropolitan Cape Town since the 1980s.

120. Personal safety and security are fundamental human rights and the public of metropolitan Cape Town in particular have every justification in expecting far higher safety and security standards than they currently receive. While good design of facilities can do much to improve safety standards, there should be far more widespread use of automatic surveillance through closed-circuit television facilities, particularly at all stations and termini. These should be supplemented by a higher police profile and presence on public transport services and at stations and termini as a deterrent.

121. The introduction of Transit Safety and Security Officers as a joint effort between the South African Police Services, metropolitan and local government and community policing forums should be pursued. The MEC: Transport and Public Works should discuss with the MEC: Safety and Security how best this service can be provided and how its costs should be met.

section I.4 : proposals

The importance of planning

I4.1 Public transport should not be seen in isolation from land use structure and the overall movement system. Public transport strategies should form an integral part of the developmental, spatial and movement policies contained in any overall land use- transport plan. Accordingly, an operational plan for public transport should be prepared for each urban area, including a quality charter. This will form part of the overall land use - transport policy framework which itself will be an integral part of a broader urban development programme. A key consideration of the operational plan will be to ensure that services are both socially acceptable and affordable.

Modal split targets

I4.2 A suitable modal split target for metropolitan Cape Town in year 2005 is 54:34:12 (public:private:walk/other). For all other urban areas the existing modal split figures for the journey to work must be determined and a modal split target established consistent with the intent of the national strategic objective of 80:20 (public:private).

Maximum delegation to local authorities

I4.3 Third tier transport authorities need to be equipped to accept full responsibility for the operational and functional performance of all forms of public transport in their area of jurisdiction. A number of ascribed provincial functions and responsibilities will consequently be delegated. The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will retain responsibility for establishing overall policies, strategies and procedures and for establishing appropriate norms and standards. It will also retain the responsibility for coordinating the activities of other transport authorities into an overall provincial programme and in assisting third tier transport authorities in undertaking their responsibilities. It will, however, retain full responsibility for public transport services which cross areas of jurisdiction, for example between regions and betwen provinces.

A gradual approach to reform in the public transport

I4.4 Any programme of transformation should be considered in three distinct phases:

Phase 1 : Conversion to the proposed system of regulation in the form of permissions, contracts or concessions but with no change to existing operations.

Phase 2A : Building of capacity in the industry and the acquisition of performance data.

Phase 2B : Building of capacity at the Provincial and Local levels of government.

Phase 3 : Restructuring of the industry and the implementation of the public transport plan.

The role of rail

I4.5 Provincial government would be prepared to consider providing financial assistance for improving the utilisation of existing services, increasing the flexibility of existing lines and to assist in realising the full potential of the existing system. Before additional financial assistance would be considered for any proposal to extend mass public transport services, the development effectiveness of the proposal must be demonstrated, together with its operational and economic efficiency.

I4.6. With the devolution of operational responsibility for rail services to Province in the foreseeable future, it is intended to delegate responsibility for the operation of the metropolitan rail services to the metropolitan transport authority. Capital investment in new rail services should be a shared responsibility between central government and the metropolitan transport authority. Operating subsidy should be on a 'fixed formula' approach from central government and may be supplemented by contributions from provincial and metropolitan governments.

Restructuring road based public transport

I4.7 The intent for each urban area is to establish a basic network of socially necessary services operating in the public interest supplemented by a range of market­driven services which respond to the broad mix of market needs. This is a form of regulated competition between different service types which may operate on the same route or section of route. It is based on achieving substantial growth in public transport, not simply regulating the existing status quo. Competition on a route between the same service will not be permitted. It is possible in certain areas that only the socially necessary services will be provided and there will be little or no demand for supplementary services.

Support to the minibus-taxi industry

I4.8 The essential contribution of minibus taxis in the provision of public mobility is recognised and has been ascribed a key role in significantly expanding and improving the function which public transport must play in the metropolitan area and in the province generally. Projected growth in the industry will provide opportunities for reducing any imbalances which may exist in route allocation permits and ranking facilities. An increasingly external business orientated focus with the essential aim of growing the industry and providing a far stronger economic base is the primary objective. A genuine partnership must be established between the industry and the various levels of transport authority. The partnership should start empowering and building capacity within the industry through the allocation of specific training and the creation of specific business skills and resources. The provincial transport authority through the various metropolitan and local transport authorities and with national support will attempt to provide the necessary assistance to enable this to occur. The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works as a matter of priority will investigate current legal constraints which may inhibit effective law enforcement. If necessary existing legislation will be amended in line with this policy and extended to ensure compliance.

I4.9 It is a matter of priority to create a united road-based public transport industry throughout the province supplied by a number of formally constituted organisations and groupings. As well as specific support to the minibus taxi industry, it is anticipated that targeted, specific support will need to be extended to bus operators as well.

The role of local authorities

I4.10 All transport authorities should facilitate public transport through the provision of infrastructure and the introduction of appropriate traffic management measures. Public transport services should be actively promoted through marketing efforts and all public transport routes should be surfaced and adequately maintained.

Safety and security

I4.11 Reducing the incidence of violence particularly against women, youth and the elderly in and around public transport facilities is a priority. There should be far more widespread use of automatic surveillance through closed circuit television facilities which should be supplemented by a higher police profile and presence.

I4.12 The introduction of Transit Safety and Security Officers as a joint effort between the South African Police Services, metropolitan and local government, and community policing forums, should be pursued jointly by the MEC: Transport and Public Works and the MEC: Safety and Security.

SECTION J - FREIGHT TRANSPORT

SECTION J.1: KEY ISSUES

122. Freight transport plays a key role in the provincial economy, linking markets to sources of production locally, provincially, nationally and internationally. Improved distributional efficiency at each of these levels would make a positive impact in the Province's competitive stance and encourage growth in the provincial economy.

123. Efficiency is a product of costs and quality of service. Reliability is an important service quality, associated with delivery times that are constantly reducing as customers and suppliers seek increased cost-effectiveness in the supply chain. While this applies at all levels of freight transport, Cape Town harbour in particular could take greater advantage of potential time savings. High value cargoes to and from the western hemisphere can reach the primary industrial centres of the country faster from Cape Town harbour by road and by rail than from any other port, provided that modal transfer and delays are minimised. At present, delays frequently occur and adequate levels of reliability are not attained, resulting in competitive losses and avoidable costs to society.

124. The provision of road-based freight services is essentially white-owned and is geared to meeting the needs of the formal, established economy, mainly the organised business, commercial and agricultural sectors. There is, however, already a latent demand for goods transport in the less-developed informal economy which will increase substantially with the introduction of mixed land use, the redistribution of opportunities and the introduction of rural development initiatives. Inadequate provision for the movement of goods at this scale retards development, restricting access to wider markets for local producers while increasing input costs. The reluctance of the established freight industry to engage in this market with resultant limited competition is resulting in higher product costs for the poorer sections of society. However, high entry costs and working capital requirements, as well as a shortage of management skills, inhibit the development and growth of local and small scale distribution networks.

125. The continual growth in the road freight industry, particularly since deregulation, together with its highly competitive nature for more lucrative routes and products and a lack of adequate controls has resulted in considerable vehicle overloading which is causing extensive damage to the provincial road network. Operators who adopt such practices are imposing very high costs on society in terms of a rapidly deteriorating road network with increasing costs for rehabilitation. Every action possible must be taken to eliminate this anti­social practice in the province.

SECTION j.2 RECOMMENDATIONS

126. Both the rail and road freight industry should be encouraged to grow and use available resources more optimally. To ensure the efficient distribution of goods throughout the province, adequate road and rail infrastructure must be provided to accommodate both the increasing growth in freight traffic and to reduce the costs of freight transport. Specific attention should be paid in urban areas to integrating the freight sector into the broader movement system, minimising delays, particularly at point-of-entry, into the system. In rural areas, attention should focus on the provision of an adequate infrastructure to reduce the transport costs of agricultural products. Particular emphasis should be placed on the integration of road, rail and maritime transport at the Cape Town harbour. It is envisaged that additional investment will be required to ensure efficient modal transfer facilities and the elimination of bottlenecks. While this in future will be a national responsibility, close support and encouragement will be provided by the Provincial Departments of Transport and Economic Affairs as well as the local business community.

127. The developmental effect of improvements in freight transport in marginalised and economically disadvantaged communities is emphasised. The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works may assist regional development councils and local development forums in investigating the impact improved freight services would have on local development initiatives. It may assist in the establishment of strategic distribution networks which are cost effective as well as stimulating the establishment of local freight contractors, possibly through the provision of financial guarantees and other forms of assistance as determined by overall development policies.

128. Responsibility for the regulation of road freight transport technically rests with the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works through the assignment of the Road Traffic Act. However, due to the need for standardisation as a result of its interprovincial characteristics, regulations governing virtually all aspects of road freight are determined by the national Department of Transport. Enforcement of these regulations, such as the licensing of vehicles, the issuing of operator permits, the transport of hazardous materials and abnormal loads, and the enforcement of vehicle weight restrictions does, however, rest with the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works as does the maintenance of infrastructure. The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works ability to discourage non-competitive and destructive behaviour which results in high negative externalities is thus substantial. Consequently, the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will be the responsible body for implementing the Road Transport Quality System and for ensuring that appropriate standards are being achieved. A national timetable has been established for the introduction of the RTQS and the NaTIS which the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will take steps to expedite.

129. The enforcement of vehicle weight restrictions and the prohibitions on vehicle overloading will be rigorously implemented. The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will ensure the provision of adequate weighbridge and vehicle inspection facilities throughout the province and the human resources to ensure that they are continuously operational at all levels of authority. The introduction of a new system of penalties is to be introduced. Fines are to be set at far higher levels, more adequately reflecting the extent of the damage which overloaded vehicles cause. Rather than fines for overloading being retained by local authorities, as at present, in future such fines will be paid into a provincial infrastructure fund which will be used to rectify the damage done by overloaded vehicles throughout the province and to contribute to meeting the costs of increased enforcement. In addition, offences will be recorded on the National Traffic Information System (NaTIS) and operators who persistently overload will have their operating permit withdrawn. Enforcement officers should also be equipped to conduct full safety and roadworthy tests on vehicles operating both within and transiting the province. A similar penalty system will apply for vehicles which are unroadworthy. Greater attention will be given to enforcing the conditions related to the transport of hazardous materials. At present both the public and emergency services are placed at risk by inadequate descriptions of hazardous cargoes which complicates and delays the appropriate response in the event of leakage or spillage. Furthermore, the Department will collaborate with the South African Police Services to ensure the safety and security of loads and to minimise the risk of vehicle hijacking. This will be achieved by a more visible enforcement presence as well as the expansion of secure overnight rest facilities.

SECTION J.3 PROPOSALS

J3.1 Both the rail and road freight industry should be encouraged to grow and use available resources more optimally. Adequate infrastructure should exist in both urban and rural areas to ensure that transport costs are minimised.

J3.2 The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works may assist regional development councils and local development forums in improving freight services in support of local development initiatives. It may assist in the establishment of strategic distribution networks which are cost effective as well as stimulate the establishment of local freight contractors, possibly through the provision of financial guarantees and other forms of assistance determined by overall development policies.

J3.3 The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will be the responsible body for implementing the Road Transport Quality System and for ensuring that appropriate standards are being achieved, including those of safety, security and environmental quality.

J3.4 The enforcement of vehicle weight restrictions and the prohibitions of vehicle overloading will be rigorously implemented. The necessary vehicle inspection facilities and resources will be provided to ensure that overloaded or unroadworthy vehicles are identified. A scale of fines will be adopted which more closely reflects the amount of damage overloaded vehicles cause. These fines will be allocated to a provincial infrastructure fund which will be used to rectify the damage done by overloaded vehicles throughout the province and to support enhanced levels of enforcement.

SECTION K - CIVIL AVIATION AND MARITIME TRANSPORT

SECTION K.1 KEY Issues

Civil aviation

130. Civil aviation is not included in Schedule 4 or 5 of the Constitution as adopted on 8 May 1996 and, accordingly, does not fall within the ambit of provincial responsibility. It remains a national responsibility, the main aspects of which are controlled by statutory companies under the National Department of Transport. Air traffic and navigation are controlled by the Air Traffic and Navigation Services Company, while national and international airports are controlled by the Airports Company. Cape Town International Airport and the national airport at George are owned and administered by this company. Municipal airports are a local authority responsibility. According to the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) there are a total of 18 licensed municipal and private airports in the province.

Maritime

131. Similarly, maritime transport is not included in Schedule 4 or 5 of the Constitution as adopted on 8 May 1996 and, accordingly, does not fall within the ambit of provincial responsibility. The three major ports in the province - Cape Town, Saldanha and Mossel Bay, are presently owned and operated by the Portnet division of Transnet. The National Green Paper has recommended that a National Port Authority be established which will take over port infrastructure and assets with Portnet becoming an operating company in a competitive operating environment.

section K.2: recommendations

Civil Aviation

132. It should be noted, however, that at present the responsibility for airports is a concurrent responsibility between National and Provincial Departments of Transport. An Airport and Air Space Management Sub-Committee of MINCOM has been established to determine policy and to set standards. However, in the interim, Provincial interest in airports centres on their contribution through business, freight and tourism to the provincial economy. It is keen to ensure that facilities keep pace with anticipated growth in traffic, and meets the requirements of an increasingly sophisticated travel market. Each airport should be fully integrated into the broader urban movement system, both public and private, of which they form part. In the interim municipal airports should remain a local responsibility, but the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will consider providing assistance where their continued existence is necessary to advance the overall development aims of the province and is consistent with an agreed development strategy. The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will ensure that its interests continue to be represented on the Civil Aviation Technical Committee of MINCOM, and will also ensure that adequate consultation occurs with the third tier of government, where appropriate.

Maritime

133. Once again provincial interest in harbours centres on their contribution to the provincial economy. The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will encourage improvements in the competitive position of ports in the province through the promotion of seamless intermodal operations, the enhancement of both road and rail freight efficiency and effectiveness, and integration into the local movement systems. It is noted that land in small harbours is owned and administered by the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works which should therefore be considered as a stakeholder in the use and future development and growth of such harbours. It is recognised that the principal responsibility for such facilties falls under other provincial departments. The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will ensure that its interests continue to be represented on the Shipping Technical Committee of MINCOM, and will also ensure that adequate consultation occurs with the third tier of government, where appropriate.

SECTION L - THE PROVISION AND MAINTENANCE OF TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

SECTION L.1: KEY ISSUES

134. The transportation infrastructure of the Western Cape represents a major asset which is the operational basis of economic and social interaction throughout the province and beyond. To ensure that such an important asset is adequately maintained, meets user requirements and is expanded and improved where necessary, it must be effectively managed and administered. While the provision and maintenance of rail infrastructure is a national responsibility, the provision and maintenance of road infrastructure is divided among a number of different road authorities, with overlapping responsibilities, diverse legislation and conflicting priorities, particularly in urban areas. The absence of a clearly defined hierarchy of roads with clear, unequivocal allocation of responsibility has given rise to inconsistency and confusion.

135. In addition, the provision of infrastructure has concentrated on meeting general traffic needs only. There has been inadequate attention to social and developmental considerations and underprovision of resources for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users, including such aspects as the provision of safe road-crossing facilities, adequate sidewalk and cycle facilities, and dedicated public transport lanes and routes. In addition, there must be a significant improvement in the quality of associated public transport infrastructure, from on-street bus and taxi stops to major modal interchange facilities. Such factors as seating, shelter and information in a pleasant and secure environment must be ascribed far greater importance.

SECTION L.2: RECOMMENDATIONS

136. There is a need to simplify and consolidate existing roads legislation and to rationalise responsibility between the various tiers of government. The principle of delegation of responsibility must be followed as much as is practically possible, allocating responsibility to the lowest level of competence. In the metropolitan area, all roads deemed of metropolitan significance, in essence the distribution system, will become the sole responsibility of the metropolitan authority. This is the strategic road network of the area and the detailed considerations of its operational performance and integration with the metropolitan spatial strategy are matters of specifically metropolitan concern. It is possible that there may be certain metropolitan roads which are retained as a provincial responsibility. These, and the principles upon which these retentions are based, will be determined through discussion and negotiation at PROVCOM. All the remaining roads in the metropolitan area, in essence the access system, will remain the responsibility of the local sub-structure in whose area of jurisdiction such roads are located. The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will act as agent on behalf of the National Department of Transport for all national roads within the metropolitan area.

137. Outside of the metropolitan area, province will take responsibility for all regional distributors, that is those trunk roads upon which the majority of long-distance, inter-regional traffic is concentrated. In urban areas, outside of the metropolitan area, the local authority will be the road authority for all roads within its area of jurisdiction, with the exception of regional distributors which pass through its area which remain a provincial responsibility, and national roads for which the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works should act as agent on behalf of the National Department of Transport.

138. All other roads in the province, that is all roads outside of the metropolitan area and other local authority areas and with the exception of all regional distributors and national roads, will be the responsibility of the various regional or district authorities in whose area of jurisdiction such roads are located.

139. The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will continue to subsidise expenditure on transport infrastructure in municipal areas in terms of an approved transport plan, giving priority to normal maintenance together with rehabilitation and reconstruction in order to protect existing resources. Specific motivation must be provided to receive financial support for transport improvements and the provision of new infrastructure, illustrating how such investment fits into a broader development programme. The allocation of responsibilities for transport infrastructure between the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works and regional and district authorities in the Western Cape will be a matter of negotiation between these levels of authority. The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will continue to ensure that appropriate standards and performance are maintained on the entire provincial road network through the issuing of provincial guidelines, standards and targets and dissemination of preferred professional practice and design approaches to which all tiers of government, including national, will be expected to conform.

140. Transport improvement schemes and the provision of new infrastructure which incorporate the following main objectives will receive priority:

140.1 to integrate previously disadvantaged and isolated communities into the economic and social fabric of which they are rightfully part, both urban and rural, through the provision of new infrastructure or the upgrading of existing infrastructure. It is anticipated that such improvements will be essentially 'local' in nature, involving either the provision of an integrated, lower-order road system, the provision of a necessary link to enable such a system to be established or the surfacing of sections of road to minimise public transport operating costs;

140.2 to improve conditions for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users through the provision and adequate maintenance of appropriate infrastructure and facilities such as stops, terminii and modal interchange facilities;

140.3 to maximise the performance of the existing transport system by traffic engineering and traffic management measures with particular emphasis on:

141. The provincial transport authority intends issuing guidelines for equal opportunity tendering for road maintenance, reconstruction and rehabilitation and the adoption of labour-based technologies to transfer the maximum amount of skills and resources into recipient communities.

142. The provision and maintenance of infrastructure includes, not only surfaced and gravelled roads, but all items of street furniture, signs, carriageway markings, street lighting and all other aspects associated with the road cross-section, including verges, sidewalks, drainage and landscaping. The responsibility for these items is that of the relevant road authority in accordance with guidelines which will be set by the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works.

section l.3 proposals

L3.1 In the allocation of responsibility the principle of delegation has been followed. Each area will take full responsibility for all roads within its area of jurisdiction. Within the metropolitan area the majority of roads of metropolitan significance will become the sole responsibility of the metropolitan authority. Access streets which are in the metropolitan area will, however, remain the responsibility of local substructures. Outside the metropolitan area, all regional distributors will remain the responsibility of the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works. In urban areas outside of the metropolitan area, the local authority will be the road authority for all roads within its area of jurisdiction other than for regional distributors. All other roads in the province with the exception of regional distributors and national roads will be the responsibility of the various regional or district authorities. The allocation of responsibilities for roads outside of the metropolitan area will be subject to negotiation between the regional or district authorities and the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works. It is intended that the Department of Transport and Public Works will act as agent on behalf of the National Department of Transport for all national roads in the province.

L3.2 The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will continue to subsidise expenditure on transport infrastructure in municipal areas, giving priority to normal maintenance together with rehabilitation and reconstruction. Transport improvement schemes and the provision of new infrastructure which incorporate the following main objectives will receive priority:

L3.3 Guidelines will be issued for equal opportunity tendering and labour based technologies.

L.3.4 The responsibilities for the provision and maintenance of infrastructure by the various roads authorities extends to all aspects included in the right-of-way, including signs, vegetation control, etc. and will be undertaken in accordance with provincial guidelines.

SECTION M-TRAFFIC SAFETY MANAGEMENT

SECTION M.1: KEY ISSUES

143. While the road accident rate in South Africa has reduced in the last decade or so, it remains unacceptably high and strategic intervention is urgently required and long overdue. The road accident problem is both an urban and a rural problem but with the overwhelming majority of accidents occurring in urban areas. The composition of road fatalities is heavily skewed towards pedestrian accidents and historically disadvantaged road users. The majority of serious and fatal road accidents occur at night with unacceptably high alcohol involvement.

144. A bad safety record is often indicative of uncoordinated and fragmented management structures and a lack of institutional capabilities. This is the case in the Western Cape. While the underlying problems are many and varied, the fundamental cause is that no single authority has the statutory responsibility for road safety at the local, regional, metropolitan or provincial authority levels. With the confusion and uncertainty that this has given rise to, action has been fragmented with unclear allocation of responsibility, authority or accountability for accident prevention measures. There has never been any major coordinated or systematic effort to address the road safety problem or to establish 'benchmarks' or accident reduction targets as successfully adopted in other countries. The resources and appropriate skills necessary to rectify the situation either do not exist or have been inappropriately applied. As a result it will require a major effort before substantial and sustained improvements in the traffic safety situation can take place. Previous efforts have been frustrated due to a lack of technical and judicial cooperation and collaboration and an absence of political will. In addition, there are marked deficiencies in the various functional areas which will have to be resolved before significant improvements are possible.

SECTION M.2: RECOMMENDATIONS

145. The strategic objective in road traffic is to promote and implement efficient, integrated, and coordinated road traffic management systems throughout the province, involving the role players in all functional areas of road traffic management. The aim is to :

Specific objectives will be set for each of these aims. Performance indicators will be established, and the achievement of these objectives will be monitored by the relevant coordinating bodies.

146. The promotion of traffic safety is the joint responsibility of three main disciplines:

The integration of the areas of functional responsibility of each of these disciplines is essential if the traffic safety problem confronting the Western Cape is to be adequately addressed.

147. The high incidence of alcohol involvement in road accidents is of particular concern and much greater effort must be made, both through more effective enforcement and through better driver education. to reduce the incidence of drunkenness and to change social attitudes. To enable traffic departments to concentrate on those functions and to significantly increase their enforcement and education profile, it is intended to review the allocation of other functions which they currently undertake, such as traffic engineering and parking management. While traffic departments would retain a strong advisory role in these matters, these functions are essentially engineering functions and should be undertaken by the relevant engineering department.

148. In addition, to resolve the problem of fragmentation which exists between the many traffic departments within the province, it is intended to restructure traffic law enforcement into two separate agencies only, a metropolitan traffic agency and a provincial traffic department. In this way, traffic law enforcement will be substantially improved and consistently applied. Each new agency must be adequately resourced with appropriately trained and experienced traffic officers. National standards for the training of traffic officers should be reviewed to ensure that they are of an acceptable and appropriate level.

149. To create safer roads, driver performance must be improved considerably, through the maintenance of adequate standards, through ongoing education and publicity programmes and sustained levels of enforcement, and through improved driver training and driver testing standards. With assigned responsibility to province for driver testing, it is intended to increase the standards of both driver training and driver testing. It is intended to introduce legislation requiring all learner drivers to receive a specified minimum number of hours of formal training by a registered driving instructor, membership of a recognised driver training control body, such as the South Africa Institute of Driving Instructors, being a compulsory requirement. In addition, during the driving test there will be more rigorous examination for both active and passive aggression on the part of drivers. The practical aspects of driver examinations which occur on public roads will be extended considerably to provide for this. The intention of the more extended testing is to ensure that defensive driving, characterised by care, courtesy and consideration, becomes ingrained and that aggressive driving is eliminated. Driver testing centres must be upgraded throughout the province to ensure the attainment of high standards; these standards will be monitored to ensure that they are consistently maintained. Provincial inspectorates must be established to control the quality of driver-training and -testing and to ensure that these standards are consistently achieved

150. It is essential that the judiciary become a willing partner in the apprehension and punishment of transgressors. Currently, this is not occurring due to a serious lack of staff and an unwillingness to accept modern enforcement aids, adopted and in common use throughout the rest of the world. With the delegated responsibility to province for road safety matters, the MEC: Transport and Public Works should approach the Minister of Justice and the Attorney-General of the Western Cape to request the following:

Accident Bureau

151. Little can be done to deal with the accident situation until the detailed nature of the problem is clearly understood. This in turn requires that accident data are collected and analysed in a systematic manner. To resolve these problems and to ensure not only a coordinated but a sustained approach with a far more effective working partnership between all the various agencies involved, it is essential that a number of specialist safety units are established, charged with the responsibility to prepare and carry out an appropriate programme of measures designed to promote traffic safety and with the authority to act. Experience has shown that in a metropolitan area, such a specialised unit is best established at the metropolitan level of local government. Accordingly, it is intended that a properly constituted and resourced Metropolitan Accident Bureau will be established as a specialist unit of the metropolitan transport authority.

152. Additional accident bureaux will be established in each local authority outside of the metropolitan area, in the regional authorities and at the provincial level. These will form part of the technical engineering responsibilities at these levels of authority. Each bureau will be responsible for traffic safety on the roads under its jurisdiction, will have the authority to act and will be accountable for traffic safety performance. Financial support for the establishment and operation of accident bureaux will be provided by province. This support will extend to the rapid acquisition and training of suitable staff.

153. Each accident bureau must be appropriately resourced and staffed. The standards of investigation which are expected are high. Each fatal accident should be investigated immediately to identify the main causal factors and to remedy any engineering or design deficiency which may exist. All sites at which more than five personal-injury accidents occur each year should be subject to detailed investigation. The accuracy of accident recording must be significantly improved.

154. It is the responsibility of each accident bureau to regularly undertake a traffic safety audit and to establish a safety strategy and safety management programme which includes data processing, accident investigation, remedial scheme design, accident research and scheme monitoring. Such units will also be capable of coordinating guidance on accident prevention, implementing safety measures at all road works and for initiating liaison and dialogue between the various bodies responsible for engineering, enforcement, education, environmental improvement, planning and the provision of public transport, emergency and welfare services. All accident bureaux should maintain mapped databases of all road accidents to enable regular detailed statistical and geographical analyses to take place. A standard package should be adopted throughout the province, such as the Microcomputer Accident Analysis Package (MAAP), produced by the TRL, to enable comparative analyses to take place. The costs of installation, configuration and support, such as training, will be met by the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works.

155. On all road improvement schemes a member of the appropriate accident bureau should be designated as road safety officer. This officer would have the statutory responsibility for ensuring that adequate road safety standards are maintained and to approve the design of diversions, temporary traffic control systems, all signs, protective devices and carriageway markings. The attainment of adequate traffic safety standards at both road maintenance and road construction sites should form part of the engineering specification. Penalty clauses for non-observance should be included and enforced. In addition, all road signs throughout the province must be improved in any event to meet the new national policy on road signs, particularly relating to safety performance.

Implementation

156. To significantly improve the traffic safety situation in the Western Cape, it is important that each transport authority accept full responsibility and accountability for traffic safety within its area of jurisdiction. It is the role of Province to encourage and coordinate the activities of all transport authorities to achieve a consistent safety strategy and safety management programme throughout the province and to take responsibility for those actions that are best undertaken centrally. This will be essential if the national target of a 10% reduction in fatalities by the year 2000 is to be achieved. In addition, it will promote the implementation of models, such as TRAFMAN, at all traffic control offices throughout the province to identify and prioritise the most critical offences as well as locations for enforcement purposes.

157. Accordingly it is proposed that a Directorate: Traffic Safety be established in the Department of Transport and Public Works to coordinate and evaluate road safety strategies and programmes in the Western Cape. It should undertake the following main functions:

Improved vehicle testing procedures

158. The average age of vehicles in South Africa is steadily increasing and there are far too many examples of badly maintained vehicles using public roads, and even relatively new vehicles show many obvious deficiencies, and inadequate maintenance. These vehicles pose a threat to the travelling public and it is intended to introduce an annual roadworthy test initially for all vehicles five years old or older, proof of passing such test being a requirement prior to annual licensing and registration. Privately-owned garages will be licensed to undertake such testing. Standards and adherence to testing requirements by the garages will be rigorously enforced. Public service vehicles will be subject to a six-monthly Certificate of Fitness (CoF) examination. With the assignment of the Road Traffic Act, the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will introduce the necessary amendments to allow for the revised testing of vehicles. As resources for testing vehicles become established and the necessary control mechanisms introduced, the initial period before which vehicle testing is required will reduce to three years.

section m.3 proposals

M3.1 To enable traffic departments to significantly increase their enforcement and education profile, it is intended to encourage the allocation of other functions such as traffic engineering and parking management to engineering departments.

M3.2 It is intended to rationalise the many different traffic departments in the province into just two agencies, a metropolitan traffic agency within the metropolitan area and a provincial traffic department to take responsibility for the balance of the provincial area.

M3.3 Driver training and driver testing is to be improved significantly by improving standards in both.

M3.4 To ensure that the judiciary becomes a willing partner in significantly increasing the observance of traffic laws, the MEC: Transport and Public Works should approach the Minister of Justice and the Attorney-General of the Western Cape to request the following:

M3.5 Properly constituted and resourced accident bureaux should be established by all transport authorities in the Western Cape. They should maintain mapped databases of all road accidents which occur in their area of jurisdiction to enable regular detailed statistical and geographical analyses to take place. A standard package should be adopted throughout the province. On all road improvement schemes, a member of the appropriate accident bureau should be appointed as road safety officer. All road signs throughout the province should be upgraded to conform to the requirements of the new national policy proposals.

M3.6 It is intended to introduce an annual road worthy test for all vehicles five years old or older, proof of passing such test being a requirement for annual licence and registration. Privately-owned garages will be licensed to undertake such tests. Public service vehicles will be subject to a six monthly Certificate of Fitness (CoF) examination.

SECTION N - ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

SECTION N 1: KEY ISSUES

159. Inefficient urban land use systems have given rise to long average-trip lengths and a disproportionate amount of travel. This has resulted in the environmental burden caused by transport being far greater than necessary. Growth in traffic coupled with long trip lengths has resulted in the rapid deterioration in operating conditions on most urban road networks in the peak period leading to a rapid increase in vehicle emissions and the presence of large quantities of pollutants. This is particularly noticeable in metropolitan Cape Town with the increasing incidence of photochemical smog.

160. This rapid deterioration in operating conditions on the main road system is also leading to many vehicles using local roads to by-pass areas of congestion. Such behaviour is environmentally intrusive, and reduces environmental quality and safety standards in residential areas. In general, meeting the needs and requirements of motorised traffic through the provision of transport infrastructure has been regarded as a priority resulting in a traffic-dominated environment which has failed to meet the needs of other road users and which places a high environmental burden on occupiers of surrounding land and property.

161. Some insensitive and inappropriate road design in both urban and rural areas has resulted in the provision of road facilities totally out of scale with the area through which they pass and which conflict with the quality of the general landscape. The environmental heritage of the Western Cape has to be safeguarded, requiring sensitive and intelligent engineering design, which reconciles often conflicting demands, and the adoption of more appropriate design standards.

SECTION N.2: RECOMMENDATIONS

162. A key determinant of the extent of the environmental burden which any urban area has to bear is the amount of travel which occurs on the road network. To move towards a position of environmental sustainability all urban transport plans should attempt to reduce or to at least stabilise the amount of travel which occurs, particularly that occurring by petrol-engine vehicles, the main source of pollutants. This can be achieved by decreasing average trip lengths through more efficient urban structures, by increasing the proportion of travel which occurs by public transport, and moving towards the introduction of more environmentally sensitive methods of propulsion.

163. To encourage a reduction in pollution from petrol-engined vehicles, it is intended to change the basis of the annual private vehicle licence fee from mass to engine-capacity and to offer discounts to vehicles fitted with catalytic converters. The National Department of Transport should develop an incentives framework for the conversion of public transport vehicles currently using petrol to diesel.

164. A more balanced approach to the design and management of urban movement systems should be adopted where the needs of motorised traffic are reconciled with broader social, developmental and environmental considerations. Extraneous through-traffic is becoming an increasing nuisance in many areas and a matter of widespread public concern. Traffic and environmental management measures should be adopted to maintain adequate environmental and safety standards on all routes and in all areas. Urban transport plans submitted for approval should have clear statements relating to the particular traffic and environmental strategies that have been adopted and the environmental management programme it is intended to pursue.

165. In addition, the quality of public space associated with the provision of transport facilities should be significantly improved. The low standard of construction and maintenance of roads, particularly those carrying public transport services, leads to dust pollution in many townships and rural settlements. On other routes, land which constitutes part of the road reserve, which is not used for the passage of vehicles, is often derelict and unkempt, its quality and standard often starkly contrasting with the quality of adjacent private space. This is often attributable to the adoption of inappropriate road reserve widths and building lines which should be reviewed.

166. The attainment of consistently high standards of environmental quality within the engineering design process in both urban and rural environments must be allocated far greater importance in the future. While a number of documents have been produced nationally which deal with producing a more integrated approach towards environmental issues and the impact of development programmes, the inherent environmental quality of basic road designs needs to be improved significantly. Of particular importance are issues of scale, parallelism and curvilinearity. Accordingly, it is proposed to produce a number of Design Guides for application on all road schemes in the Western Cape, illustrating the best aspects of professional practice and how detailed design requirements can be reconciled with environmental factors.

167. The environmental management of existing roads must be consistently maintained. The Advertising on Roads and Ribbon Development Act, No. 21 of 1940, has been delegated to the provinces and, in the Western Cape, it is intended to strictly enforce the provisions of this Act in all environmentally sensitive areas and on all environmentally sensitive routes in rural areas. It is anticipated that new legislation will be promulgated to control roadside advertising in all areas, including urban and peri-urban areas.

168. While the provincial Design Guides will improve the quality of route location and functional design, it is intended to incorporate the principles and procedures of Integrated Environmental Management into the existing procedures for road development. It is intended to develop a standard method of approach for the environmental evaluation of all roads which is replicable from scheme to scheme and can be incorporated into all the stages of the development process of roads.

section n.3 proposals

N3.1 All urban transport plans should attempt to reduce or to at least stabilise the amount of travel which occurs by petrol-engined vehicles. To further this aim, the basis of vehicle license fees will be changed from mass to engine capacity, with discounts to vehicles with catalytic converters. The National Department of Transport should develop an incentives framework for the conversion of public transport vehicles currently using petrol to diesel.

N3.2 Clear proposals must be made on the particular traffic and environmental strategies which have been adopted to minimise the nuisance caused by extraneous traffic.

N3.3 The quality of public space associated with the provision of public transport facilities should be significantly improved. The attainment of consistently high standards of environmental quality within the engineering design process in both urban and rural environments must be allocated far greater importance in the future.

N3.4 It is intended to strictly enforce the provisions of the Advertising on Roads and Ribbon Development Act (No. 21 of 1940) in all environmentally sensitive areas and on all environmentally sensitive routes in rural areas in the Western Cape. It is anticipated that new legislation will be promulgated to control roadside advertising in all areas, including urban and peri-urban areas.

N3.5 It is intended to incorporate the principles and procedures of Integrated Environmental Management into the existing procedures for road development.

SECTION O - SUBSIDIES

SECTION O.1 KEY ISSUES

169. The current level of subsidies which are being paid throughout the transport market is of serious concern, not only because of the very large amounts of money involved but also because of the rapid increase which has occurred in subsidy payments in the last 10­15 years. The current subsidy system is generally regarded as inefficient, failing to target subsidies effectively to the poor and disadvantaged. Concern has also been expressed about possible internal inefficiencies on the part of those operators in receipt of subsidy with subsidies leading to lower productivity and leakage into larger staffs, wages and unit costs. In addition, there are obvious inconsistencies which result from the exclusion of minibus-taxi operators from receiving subsidy.

170. The payment of subsidies seriously distorts the overall performance of the transport market, underpricing of the various transport products inhibiting investment and expansion, resulting in reduced standards and an impoverished transport market. Artificially low prices stifle the emergence of potentially more efficient systems, particularly in the public transport market, leading to strong arguments for extending the less efficient, subsidised services as demand increases, resulting in still further increases in subsidy.

171. The amount of subsidy together with its rapid growth in recent years is a reflection of the degree of inefficiency inherent in existing land use arrangements within the metropolitan area. Subsidy policy must do more than lead to improved efficiency in current allocation procedures and must address issues of urban restructuring, reducing both operator and user costs and reducing the need for subsidy.

172. There is no definitive statement of the role and function of subsidy or the allocation of subsidy responsibilities between the various levels of government. The Green Paper on National Transport Policy ascribes the funding of infrastructure and operations, including subsidisation, to Provincial Government apart from 'some infrastructural projects in the national interest'. The ownership of rail infrastructure and rolling stock will be retained by the national transport authority with the metropolitan transport authority taking responsibility for the concession system which will replace the current deficit financing system. In addition, funding of operations, including those services operated under contract, will also be the responsibility of metropolitan transport authorities.

173. Subsidy considerations tend to focus on urban issues alone and fail to address the need for subsidy for rural operations where the need is often greatest.

SECTION O.2 RECOMMENDATIONS

Operating subsidies

174. It is the intention to curtail the growth in subsidy in the medium to long term through urban restructuring by reducing the average length of passenger trips by public transport while increasing the utilisation of existing public transport services through the provision of more balanced flows, using existing spare capacity inherent in the system. This will come about from the adoption of mixed land use development and higher residential densities along selected development corridors. This will contain the costs of service provision and reduce the need for subsidy by increasing fare revenue for existing service providers, and will increase profits as assets get utilised more effectively.

175. However, the provision of public transport services will be based upon socially agreed standards and operated in the public interest. This is likely to lead to greater coverage than at present and longer service duration, certainly in the evenings and weekends which together will lead to a substantial increase in the costs of service provision, and in the need for financial support. While the introduction of competitive tendering will improve internal allocation efficiency, it will not remove the need for considerable financial support for public transport which, while it may decline as the effects of urban restructuring are felt, will always be present. In terms of the distribution of subsidy to meet the new policy objectives there is a need, as a matter of urgency, for the development of an implementation strategy.

176. It is unacceptable that the financial responsibilities for meeting the costs of service provision should be borne entirely by the provincial transport authority. Subsidy obligations should be a collective responsibility which is shared between national, provincial, metropolitan and local authorities and which advance each of their own specific objectives and responsibilities. While it is agreed that funding should be channelled through a single authority, it does not prevent the various levels of government from providing financial support to advance their objectives and to meet their responsibilities consistent with their specific role and function. For example, it is appropriate that central government should accept certain financial obligations for addressing the effects produced by national policy and in furtherance of its general welfare obligations. It can be argued that central government should continue to compensate people who are locationally disadvantaged because of apartheid policies by providing basic minimum levels of access and mobility in urban and rural areas. Also, it has an additional responsibility to ameliorate some of the consequences of rapid urbanisation. A basic network of socially necessary road- and rail-based public transport services has been proposed to ensure that minimum service levels are provided throughout the metropolitan area based upon socially agreed standards which meet this requirement. As provincial government also has general welfare responsibilities in ensuring that minimum levels of public mobility are achieved in the province, meeting the costs of service provision for the network of socially necessary services should be a shared responsibility between central and provincial government.

177. However, financial support from central government to establish this network of socially necessary services should not be an indefinite commitment in view of the risk of merely perpetuating existing inefficient land use arrangements with the resulting continuation in the escalation of subsidy payments. Incentives must be provided to promote the restructuring and integration of both urban and rural areas.

178. Ideally, there should be some defined formula which allocates subsidy resources from central government to the various metropolitan areas on a common, consistent basis. There are a number of ways in which this is done in other countries based upon specific, measurable urban characteristics such as population, route length, seat kilometres etc. for certain prescribed minimum levels of service, this 'fixed formula' approach being an ideal towards which central government should move. The programme of allocation and the amounts which are provided are then fixed, determined in advance and provide a timetable within which improvements in urban restructuring should take place. Such allocation procedures are transparent and visible. The principles upon which the recomendations of the Fiscal and Finance Commission, as contained in the Final Constitution, are based, could be used to inform the development of an appropriate set of guidelines on how this distribution could be effected.

179. Provincial responsibility extends to providing financial support to enable broadening of the public transport mix to occur which will result in a positive social and economic impact. These are the proposed supplementary network of limited stop and express services together with area-bound services. These services will be provided by contract and by permission, the need for such services and the justification for their provision being a shared responsibility between metropolitan government and the industry itself, in partnership. As it is a matter of provincial interest that the public transport mix is broadened, financial support will be provided by province, the balance of the costs involved coming from metropolitan sources.

180. Transport policies can be used pro-actively to encourage the development of a particular land use structure through the establishment of major public transport corridors, even when the demand for such public transport facilities may not be justified initially. This will require a specific category of contract service where a predetermined level of service is provided to improve accessibility along a particular route or corridor to encourage a specific development response. The aim of such 'development subsidies' is to encourage and stimulate the location of land use facilities by the provision of a particular level of public transport service and service mix and will attract financial support from province. All services which attract provincial financial support must be adequately monitored to ensure that such payments are achieving the desired result.

181. In smaller urban areas, it is also necessary to provide a basic network of socially necessary services and to broaden the service mix. Province will provide financial support for local authorities to ensure that this occurs. Matching financial contributions will be expected from these authorities.

182. In rural areas the need for public transport service provision is more varied and diverse. Where there is some form of transport provision already occurring which could be extended to provide a basic and rudimentary form of public transport service, for example, school buses, or specific vehicles used by particular provincial or local government departments, the Department of Transport and Public Works will investigate the form and extent of financial support necessary for those vehicles to fulfil a broader role and function. In rural areas which are severely transport disadvantaged and the opportunities do not exist for extending the role and function of existing transport resources, the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works, within the framework of recommendations of the NTTT, will consider providing assistance grants subject to the availability of financial resources to enable local communities to provide their own public transport services through encouraging the establishment of SMMEs. In each instance, the motivation must come from the local and regional or district councils, be part of a broader development programme and receive the support of the local RDP forum. In addition, the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works must be satisfied of the competence and integrity of the body accepting responsibility for the vehicle, for example, a local or district council, a local church or some similar group. While a grant towards the capital cost of an appropriate vehicle would be provided, operating and maintenance costs would have to be met from local sources.

Capital subsidies

183. The main aim of provincial subsidies is to advance the overall intentions of provincial policy. This it will achieve through the planning response of lower levels of government and accordingly the provincial transport authority will support plans and programmes which advance these overall intentions. By ensuring adequate levels of coordination between different levels of transport authority, it is intended that the policies, plans and programmes of the different levels of authority are coincident. This is not an absolute requirement, but where programmes and plans are divergent from provincial policy, subsidy will not be provided.

184. The amount of money which will be available for both operating and capital subsidy will be determined to a degree by the amount of intergovernmental transfer which occurs, together with the amount which can be raised from provincial resources. The stability and forecastability of the intergovernmental transfer will be dependent on the source of such funds from government which, in turn, will have a bearing on the stability of the provincial transport fund. Accordingly the provincial transport authority will attempt to increase income from financial resources currently available to it and lower levels of transport authority are strongly encouraged to follow suit by increasing income from currently available resources, particularly those prescribed in the Urban Transport Act.

185. Monies which become available from the provincial transport authority in terms of approved transport plans will be increasingly used towards subsidy programmes which are integrated with other sectoral programmes and attempt to achieve multiple objectives. It is intended to vary the degree of subsidy based upon the intentions of the programme and to move towards a block allocation towards each programme. It is intended to grant transport authorities certain discretionary powers of expenditure on projects within each programme.

186. Similarly, it is intended to move towards a fixed allocation between transport authorities, the aim of fixed allocations on programmes and between authorities being to introduce a measure of stability and forecastability on income from outside sources.

187. This method of provincial expenditure will be monitored and periodically reviewed once a clearer indication of how the various systems are responding are known, the allocation between authorities and between programmes possibly being changed in the future.

section o.3 proposals

Operating subsidies

O3.1 It is intended that the need for extensive subsidisation will be reduced in the medium to long term as a result of urban restructuring which will reduce the demand for movement as well as increasing the utilisation of existing public transport services.

O3.2 The provision of public transport services will be based upon socially agreed standards and operated in the public interest.

O3.3 Financial responsibility for subsidisation should be shared among all levels of government, but should be channelled through a single authority. National government should accept certain financial obligations for addressing the effects produced by past and present national policy and in furtherance of general welfare obligations. As provincial government also has welfare responsibilities, meeting the costs of service provision for the network of socially necessary services should be a shared responsibility between national and provincial governments.

O3.4 The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will provide financial support to enable a broadening of the public transport mix to occur which will result in a positive social and economic impact. In the metropolitan area costs will be shared with the metropolitan transport authority.

O3.5 In rural areas the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will investigate the form and extent of financial support necessary to extend any existing transport provision to provide a basic and rudimentary form of public transport service. Where such opportunities do not exist, it will be prepared to provide assistance grants to enable local communities to provide their own public transport services within the framework of the recommendations of the NTTT.

Capital subsidies

O3.6 The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will support plans and programmes put forward by lower tiers of government which advance the overall intentions of provincial transport policy. Where plans and programmes are divergent from provincial policy, subsidy will not be provided.

O3.7 Due to uncertainty about the amount of national funds which will become available for transport in the province, the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will attempt to increase income from financial resources currently available to it and to explore additional sources of funding as well; local transport authorities are strongly encouraged to follow suit.

O3.8 Monies which become available will be allocated to programmes which are integrated with other sectoral programmes which attempt to achieve multiple objectives. It is intended to vary the degree of subsidy based upon the intentions of the programme and to move towards a block allocation for each programme.

SECTION P - FINANCE

SECTION P.1 KEY ISSUES

188. Current levels of funding provided by all levels of government for transport, including the funds provided from national sources for subsidising bus and rail services, are diminishing in real terms. They are generally considered to be far less than those necessary to address present infrastructural, operational and service related shortcomings. In addition, there has been no clear basis for reliably assessing the amount of financial support which can be expected from national sources. This has made strategic planning and programming difficult and has led to policy uncertainty and confusion.

189. However, all authorities have failed to recognise or understand the integral role of prices in transport policy and have consistently undercharged many items, particularly both long- and short-term parking charges and vehicle licence fees. In addition, many urban authorities have not made full use of the opportunities in existing legislation for imposing levies to act as vehicle restraint measures. Had a more realistic set of transport prices been adopted, particularly relating to private vehicle usage, not only would it have addressed many issues relating to efficiency and equity but would have provided considerable additional local sources of income.

190. Funding of public transport has not enjoyed a high priority in local authority financial provision as the planning and management of public transport has not been seen to be a functional responsibility of local government. Instead, it has been seen to be the responsibility of national government through subsidy obligations to private companies and state-run corporations. In addition, local authorities have placed undue emphasis on the provision of new infrastructure at the expense of the better management of currently available resources.

SECTION P.2 RECOMMENDATIONS

191. The main thrust of transport policy should be sustainability, that is, the arrangement of transport variables to produce a situation which is increasingly stable over time. This requires the adoption of both land use and transport policy instruments which influence modal split and contain the demand for movement while meeting economic, social, and environmental objectives. It is no longer acceptable to adopt policies which cater for growth in travel by providing new or expanded facilities which produce major negative consequences, particularly given the existing inefficient and inequitable nature of the major urban areas of the Western Cape. Neither is it feasible. The growth in the demand for movement in urban areas is many times greater than the nation's ability, financially and environmentally, to match by supplying additional resources. This requires a complete reassessment of the policy options available and a far more strategic approach to the provision of additional infrastructure. A far broader package of policy measures needs to be adopted involving the use of regulatory, pricing and investment instruments in both the land and transport markets to ensure that demand is reconciled with the transport resources and services which can be afforded.

192. Very real choices exist on the funding requirements of transport, the extent of the funding made available having a direct influence on the policy decisions which are made. While there is a basic minimum level of funding which is necessary to maintain existing transport resources and to carry out essential transport functions, the amount of additional funds which are required is a strategic decision. This should be based upon a rigorous assessment of the range of alternative policy options which are available in both the land and transport markets and the rate of progress which is required in meeting certain performance standards and realising broader developmental objectives and political and social acceptability.

193. It is essential that adequate and appropriate funding is provided by all levels of government to ensure that realistic and appropriate transport policy, consistent with broader reconstruction and development principles, is developed and implemented. The funds provided by each level of government should be consistent with its perceived role and function and should be used to advance its own particular goals and objectives. The sources of such funding should be stable, equitable and sustainable, and earmarked for particular transport programmes such as operating subsidies, public transport infrastructure provision, traffic management measures, maintenance and the provision of other transport facilities etc., to enable appropriate policy development, planning and programming to occur. The basis of assessment and the distribution of funds between provinces should be on a rational and agreed basis.

194. Financial transfers should occur directly between successive levels of government and should not bypass intermediate levels of government. The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will collate all requirements for financial assistance which originate in the province and will allocate all funds received, including those earmarked for particular projects or specific uses.

195. The priorities for expenditure on transport in the province are :

195.1` to integrate previously disadvantaged communities into the broader social and economic environment by improving accessibility through the provision of infrastructure where required and through the provision of socially necessary public transport services;

195.2 to bring into existence vastly improved and extended public transport services involving all current suppliers, including minibus-taxis and other SMME transport operators, which meet social needs and requirements;

195.3 to make more productive use of transport resources;

195.4 to maintain the structural integrity of the existing transport infrastructure by timeous maintenance and rehabilitation;

195.5 to build capacity and capability to enable transport authorities to adequately discharge their responsibilities;

195.6 to improve the safety of the provincial road system through road safety improvement programmes;

195.7 to ensure that comprehensive, integrated land use-transport planning is undertaken by all levels of government throughout the province.

196. In order to contribute to meeting the financial obligations of the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works, it is intended to increase vehicle licence fees to more appropriate and realistic levels. It is intended that, other than funds transferred from central level and any other allocations from provincial government, this will become an important provincial source of funding for the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works. It is also intended that fines collected for moving offences on roads, policed by the Provincial Traffic Agency are allocated to a provincial infrastructure fund. Together they should create the basis for a dedicated source of funds to enable it to adequately undertake the powers and functions assigned to it and to provide the necessary assistance and support to third tier government.

197. At present there is a marked divergence between the marginal cost paid by vehicle users and the marginal social cost, taking into account the cost of such externalities as congestion, environmental damage, road accidents, traffic law enforcement etc., the costs of which are all attributable to the costs of using vehicles. The price adjustments which will take place are to bring private and social costs into line and relate to the attainment of broader transportation policies and is not being undertaken primarily as a means of producing income.

198. Vehicle licence fees are a direct form of taxation on motor vehicles which accrues to the provincial government. By world standards, South African licence fees for private vehicles are amongst the lowest and it is intended to increase the current licence fees substantially to bring them more into line. It is intended to change the basis for the licence fee for private vehicles from mass to engine capacity. This will be phased in over a three-year period, starting in 1997 from a base rate of R10 per 100 cc, to R15 per 100 cc in 1998, and R20 per 100 cc in 1999. This rate will apply to all private cars and motorcycles throughout the province. Discounts will be available for cars fitted with catalytic converters. Based upon current estimates of the existing car population in the Western Cape, additional revenue of approximately R220 million will be produced in 1999. Further increases should not be discounted. Current licence fees for commercial vehicles are based on the mass of the vehicle which is related to the amount of damage that is done by the vehicle to the road system. However, being based upon nett rather than gross mass, this gives rise to an obvious inconsistency which is particularly disadvantageous to public service vehicles. Accordingly, it is intended to review the structure of licence fees for all commercial vehicles.

199. A primary source of income that will accrue directly to urban transport authorities is that resulting from more realistic short-term and long-term public parking charges, together with a levy it is intended to impose on all long-term parking, both public and private. Depending on the basis of the scale of parking charges which are applied, the amount of the parking levy and the number of bays which are levied, total income is likely to be of the order of R30 million per year in metropolitan Cape Town and proportionately less in the smaller urban areas.

200. Commercial vehicles which use on-street loading and off-loading facilities are currently not charged for using such facilities. It is intended to introduce a supplementary annual licence called the 'C' licence which will entitle commercial vehicles to make use of such facilities. Those commercial vehicles which do not use on-street loading and off-loading facilities will not require such a licence. Light delivery vehicles will be considered as private vehicles unless a 'C' licence is produced at the time of registration. An additional benefit is that the introduction of such a licence will greatly facilitate the enforcement of on-street loading and off-loading facilities. Commercial vehicles which do not have such a licence will not be able to use public loading and off-loading facilities. The scale of charges will be related to the length of the vehicle and be on a sliding scale. The exact amount of the 'C' licence will be subject to negotiation between the provincial transport authority and other urban transport authorities in the province, but it is anticipated to be of the order of R100/m for vehicles shorter than 5 metres, rising to R250/m for vehicles longer than 12 metres. Such a levy is permitted by the Urban Transport Act, the amount of the levy being determined or approved by the Premier. Enabling legislation will be introduced by the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works to ensure its application in all urban transport authority areas throughout the province.

201. The 'C' licence will not be granted to private motor vehicles. Users of two-wheeled and four-wheeled light delivery vehicles will have a choice to either pay for the 'C' licence and be able to use a loading bay while actively involved in loading or off-loading, or not to acquire a 'C' licence, in which case they would only be entitled to use designated parking bays. The introduction of such a licence is to deter extremely large vehicles from undertaking deliveries in congested urban areas, to recover at least part of the costs of the provision of loading and off-loading facilities in urban areas and to meet part of the costs of enforcement. Further benefits are the more rational use of on-street loading and off-loading facilities and significant improvements in the performance of such facilities. Income from the sale of 'C' licences will accrue to the metropolitan transport authority and to the local urban transport authorities. It is estimated that this will produce additional income of R20 million per annum in the metropolitan area.

202. The development of socially necessary transport services should be a shared responsibility between national and provincial government. Extensions to the existing rail infrastructure will remain the responsibility of national government. Funding of all additional infrastructural and operational requirements is primarily a local or metropolitan responsibility. Where such requirements form part of an approved transport plan, the intentions consistent with provincial transport policy and there is an agreed programme of implementation, financial assistance will be provided by the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works. Additional funds will be made available by the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works to develop appropriate organisational and institutional structures at third tier government level.

section p.3 PROPOSALS

P3.1 The growth in the demand for movement in urban areas is many times greater than the nation's ability either financially or environmentally to match by supplying additional resources. A broad package of policy measures needs to be adopted involving the use of regulatory, pricing and investment instruments in both the land and transport markets to ensure that demand is reconciled with the transport resources and services which can be afforded.

P3.2 Adequate and appropriate funding should be provided by all levels of government. The sources of such funding should be stable, equitable and sustainable to enable appropriate policy development, planning and programming to occur. The assessment and the distribution of funds between provinces from national should be on a rational and agreed basis.

P3.3 Financial transfers should occur directly between successive levels of government and should not bypass intermediate levels of government. The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works will collate all requirements for financial assistance which originate in the province and will allocate all funds received including those earmarked for particular projects or specific uses.

P3.4 The priorities for expenditure in the province are:

P3.5 Vehicle licence fees of private cars and motor cycles are to be increased and their basis changed from mass to engine capacity rising to R20 per 100cc by the year 1999. The current licence fee system for commercial vehicles will be reviewed with the intention of moving towards gross mass rather than nett mass as the basis for determining fees.

P3.6 It is intended to impose a parking levy on all long term parking, both public and private within specified zones in urban areas. Such income will accrue directly to urban transport authorities.

P3.7 It is also intended to introduce a supplementary annual licence for commercial vehicles which use on-street loading and off-loading facilities. The scale of charges will be related to the length of the vehicle and be on a sliding scale. The amount of the licence will be subject to negotiation between the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works and other urban transport authorities in the province. Income will accrue to the metropolitan transport authority and to local urban transport authorities.

SECTION Q - INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES

SECTION Q.1: KEY ISSUES

203. The ability to respond to transport issues in the Western Cape has been hampered by poor organisational arrangements with shared and overlapping responsibilities for land use and transport between different levels and departments of government. The result has been inconsistency and confusion, providing a severe handicap in the achievement of integrated and sustainable transport and land use policies and programmes. The assignment of many powers and functions from central to provincial government together with the rationalisation of local government provides a real opportunity for reorganising transport powers and responsibilities within the province. This will be achieved by creating a far more effective and appropriate management and institutional framework, better equipped to undertake the necessary functions and responsibilities.

204. It is increasingly realised that it is in the area of institutional reform and the development of appropriate organisational and management structures that the greatest potential benefits lie in achieving substantial improvements in transport performance and productivity. The acceptance of subsidiarity and the delegation of transport functions, powers and duties to the lowest appropriate level of government is an important step in rationalising powers and functions between different levels of government and improving overall effectiveness.

205. It is the intention of the national transport authority to compile an overarching Land Passenger Transport (LPT) Act which will detail the allocation and execution of national, provincial and local land passenger transport policies within the framework of the National White Paper.

SECTION Q.2: RECOMMENDATIONS

206. With the devolution of authority together with accompanying legislation, the provincial government becomes the principal transport authority in the Western Cape, providing the necessary guidance and direction in addressing transport matters in the area. This responsibility will be discharged by the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works which will act as the provincial transport authority for the Western Cape. While it intends to play a leading role in addressing the transport problems of the area by providing strong policy direction and guidance, it is through its enabling and facilitating role in assisting third tier government authorities in achieving their own goals that it intends realising its own aims and objectives. It is by creating competence at this lower level of authority to develop their own transport plans and programmes in the context of broader developmental aims and objectives and responsive to community needs and concerns that the greatest progress will be made. However, it is recognised that in certain instances adequate competence will not exist. Under such circumstances, the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works is prepared to assist with technical support and guidance.

207. Accordingly, the principal functions of the provincial transport authority will be to:

207.1 develop, implement and monitor provincial land passenger transport policy and legislation, and periodically review such policies for continuing relevance and appropriateness;

207.2 establish provincial guidelines, standards and targets;

207.3 coordinate provincial transport policy between national government, metropolitan and district councils and integrate with other sectoral policies through the other departments of provincial government and through the Provincial Development Council;

207.4 build capacity in the third tier of government authorities to enable them to take full responsibility for implementing national and provincial policies and to undertake the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of all aspects of transport operations and infrastructure within their area of jurisdiction;

207.5 act as the road authority for all roads under provincial jurisdiction, providing law enforcement services through the Provincial Traffic Agency and road safety management services through the Provincial Accident Bureau;

207.6 provide dedicated funds from provincial sources and administer funds obtained directly or on behalf of third tier government authorities from the national transport authority;

207.7 call for the preparation of transport plans and comment on all transport plans within the province.

208. It is intended that metropolitan, regional, district and local councils will each act as transport authorities in their own right and must develop adequate competence to undertake this role and function. In the metropolitan area it is intended that a metropolitan transport authority should be established in terms of the Local Government Transition Act, 1993, and the Cape Metropolitan Council could fulfill that role. It is envisaged that a separate department could be established within Council to discharge what are extensive technical responsibilities. Because of the contentious and complex nature of many transport issues, it is proposed that a separate Committee of Council could be established with specific responsibilities for metropolitan transport matters. In other regional, district and local councils, each Council could become the transport authority for that area and appropriate modifications and changes must be made to the departmental structures to enable them to undertake their particular technical duties and responsibilities.

209. The principal powers of a properly constituted transport authority are as follows:

210 Proper provision must be made within each transport authority to enable it to adequately discharge these powers. It is anticipated that appropriate internal reorganisation and restructuring may be necessary.

211. The proposed function and responsibilities which transport authorities should undertake in terms of these proposed powers are:

211.1 Policy coordination

211.2 Strategic planning

211.3 Tactical Planning

211.4 Operational planning

211.5 Public transport planning and control

211.6 Accident investigation and analysis

211.7 Enforcement

211.8 Financial control

211.9 Communication

212. In the metropolitan transport area, the metropolitan transport authority would be responsible for establishing policies and strategies for each of these powers and functions related to the defined metropolitan movement system and derived from the overall provincial and national policies and strategies. The lower order road facilities, including local distributors and residential access streets would remain the responsibility of each of the metropolitan sub-structures. In addition, with adequate capacity existing in each of the metropolitan sub-structures, the responsibilities for undertaking operational and tactical planning, including day-to-day administration and management, should be delegated to the sub-structures. They would be responsible for preparing plans and programmes in response to the overall policies and strategies to realise agreed aims and objectives. All local planning matters should remain the responsibilities of the metropolitan sub-structures and where policy relating to the metropolitan system is established by the metropolitan transport authority, for example, subdivision applications and development applications, site access, parking management and control, accident prevention, etc., such policies would be delegated to the metropolitan sub-structures for implementation and administration wherever possible. All public transport services, including area-bound services, would remain a metropolitan transport authority responsibility although supervision and control of certain aspects of the service, such as administration and management of ranks and termini facilities, could be delegated.

213. The Cape Metropolitan Council is the core city for the metropolitan transport area in terms of the Urban Transport Act as devolved in 1995 and is responsible for the metropolitan transport function. The Metropolitan Transport Advisory Board (MTAB) should be reconstituted in terms of the revised local government structure to advise both the CMC and the MEC: Transport and Public Works on matters regarding transport in the Cape Metropolitan Transport Area. With the acceptance of the principle of subsidiarity, the principal powers and functions for metropolitan transport are retained within the Cape Metropolitan Council, the Metropolitan Transport Advisory Board being a vehicle for liaison between the various metropolitan stakeholders, the metropolitan transport authority and the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works.

214. District and local councils outside of the metropolitan area will act as transport authorities and will have similar powers and functions as those defined for the metropolitan transport authority. With a lot less complicated situations and conditions than those which prevail in the metropolitan transport area, it is anticipated that only a limited amount of internal restructuring will be necessary for them to be able to discharge these responsibilities. However, appropriate organisational structures must be in place to allow for the involvement of both the operators and users of public transport in developing the operational plan for public transport.

215. It is imperative that traffic law enforcement be substantially improved and restructured throughout the province to implement this policy effectively and to ensure the attainment of acceptable levels of traffic law enforcement. In the metropolitan area it is proposed that the various traffic departments should be consolidated into a single Metropolitan Traffic Agency. It should be incorporated into the Cape Metropolitan Council as one of the functions of the metropolitan transport authority. Its primary function should be enforcing the laws relating to moving-traffic violations and general traffic control. In the long term, it is intended to rationalise all traffic departments outside of the metropolitan area, moving towards the establishment of a single Provincial Traffic Agency which will incorporate all municipal traffic departments.

216. All engineering functions currently undertaken by traffic departments should revert to the engineering departments at each level of authority. Traffic departments should take over the function of responding to road accidents from the South African Police Services as part of the establishment and functioning of the accident bureaux. Additional capacity will have to be created within traffic departments to enable this situation to be achieved. This recommendation includes that traffic control services must be given the full powers and functions to investigate traffic offences, including culpable homicide in the case of motor vehicle accidents, and that a traffic control service taking over these functions should provide a 24-hour service. For this purpose, traffic control services should be classified as emergency and essential services. The enforcement of parking regulations should remain a local authority responsibility. However, with a greatly extended enforcement and regulatory burden in terms of the nature of the proposed parking policies and the proposed decriminalisation of parking offences and stationary vehicle violations, consideration should be given to privatising all aspects of parking management and control

217. The intention at all times must be to keep all necessary organisational and institutional structures, and the arrangements between them, as simple as possible. Authority, responsibility and accountability must be delegated to the lowest level of government to ensure that the best use is made of scarce technical resources and to remove all possible bureaucratic impediments which hinder implementation capacity and capability. If there is clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of each level of authority, the need for coordination is kept to a minimum and is only required where there is a degree of overlap or where the involvement of other levels of authority adds value to a programme or project.

section q.3 proposals

Q3.1 The Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works is the principal transport authority in the Western Cape and will provide the necessary guidance and direction in addressing transport matters in the area. It will provide strong policy direction and guidance and, through its enabling and facilitating role in assisting the third tier of government in achieving their own goals, will realise its own aims and objectives. It is prepared to assist with technical support and guidance. The principal functions of the provincial transport authority are defined and reflect these aims.

Q3.2 A metropolitan transport authority should be established in terms of the Local Government Transition Act (1993) and the Cape Metropolitan Council will fulfill that role. In other district and local councils each council will become the transport authority for that area.

Q3.3 The proposed functions and responsibilities which transport authorities should undertake can be summarised under the following main headings:

Q3.4 In the metropolitan area where adequate capacity will exist in each of the metropolitan substructures, powers and functions should be delegated where ever possible.

Q3.5 It is imperative that traffic law enforcement be substantially improved and restructured throughout the province to implement this policy effectively and to ensure the attainment of acceptable levels of traffic law enforcement. It is proposed that the various traffic departments should be consolidated into a single Metropolitan Traffic Agency within the Cape Metropolitan Council. All engineering functions currently undertaken by traffic departments should revert to the engineering departments at each level of authority. Traffic departments should take over the function of responding to road accidents from the South African Police Services as part of the establishment and functioning of the accident bureaux.

SECTION R - CHANGE MANAGEMENT

SECTION R.1 KEY ISSUES

218. Many of the existing approaches to transport management and operations, and the values and beliefs upon which they are based are no longer appropriate in the new policy environment. The adoption of the values and principles inherent in the Reconstruction and Development Programme, based upon the broadening of democracy and the principles of people-centred development, calls for a complete reassessment of the relevance and appropriateness of many current views and perceptions. This includes the ability of the current composition and structure of many existing organisations and institutions to respond appropriately, and the mix and range of views and opinions which are available within such organisations and institutions.

219. The separations and divisions of the past and the racial demarcations and governance which have characterised all levels of government have had a marked impact on the way in which both urban and rural issues have been identified and actions prioritised. Both must be reformed to provide a more appropriate institutional framework for decision-making and a more complete understanding of the scale and extent and mix of issues which must be resolved.

220. Change management is managing the process of adaptation, equipping organisations to develop a broader awareness and understanding of problems and issues, to enable them to respond more appropriately and completely to current political and social reality and to do so in ways which are inclusive, participative and transparent, building credibility, trust and accountability with the communities they serve.

221. The need for the introduction of change management processes at all levels of government in the Western Cape stems from three primary areas of concern:

221.1 Many people feel that they are denied any real choice in matters of transport and are unable to influence decisions which potentially would have a profound effect upon their quality of life and the cost, convenience and safety of travel. Transport decision-making is seen to be concentrated in the hands of a technocratic elite which bring perceptions and understanding of problems and issues shaped often by narrowly defined analytical interests, institutional allegiances and education and training backgrounds. Such decision-making is seen to be non-representative and exclusive, heavily skewed to an engineering approach to transport and primarily responsive to issues of road space optimisation and the overall efficient use of transport system capacity.

221.2 Transport decision-making is also seen to be vested, until very recently, in the hands of a social and cultural elite, whose socialisation, perceptions, awareness and understanding are based upon a specific set of social and cultural standards, values and political ideologies. Such perceptions and understanding are reliant upon an historically narrow viewpoint which determines how problems are perceived and understood, the scope and character of the analysis which follows and the resultant form, content and priority of transport intervention and change which ultimately results. This social and cultural group have had little or no experience of any social order other than apartheid against which to develop and determine norms, values, culture, experience or democracy. Such a systematic environment has shaped many basic assumptions and has made it difficult to formulate policies and make decisions without prejudice or bias. Consequently, it is held that technical and cultural elitism has resulted in a distorted and incomplete understanding of the fundamental transport, spatial and developmental issues confronting South African society and is resulting in failure to engage appropriately with the central issues of growth, development, reconstruction and redistribution of opportunities and resources and the redressing of past imbalances.

221.3 There is a lack of capacity and expertise in almost every aspect of transport planning and operations, particularly those associated with the better management and administration of existing transport facilities and resources. The existing movement system falls far short of the quality of performance or the levels of productivity and efficiency of which it is capable. However, there is also a widespread shortage of suitably qualified, trained and experienced staff to redress the situation. This will place very real constraints on the ability to substantially improve the situation within a realistic time frame, and is a cause of real concern. Without an enhanced awareness and understanding of what constitutes a professionally competent traffic and transport office and the allocation of the necessary resources, together with strong political support, meaningful change and improvements of the scale necessary will not be forthcoming.

SECTION R.2: RECOMMENDATIONS

222. In the establishment of competent and able transport authorities at all levels of government in the Western Cape, far greater attention must be given to the professional composition of such authorities and the mix of skills which are available. While tactical and operational transport problems are often essentially technical in their nature, many transport problems are due to strategic considerations, being a product of the complex interaction between transport and spatial and developmental considerations. To resolve such problems needs the inclusion of a wide range of perceptions and understanding beyond those of physical planners, such as land use and transport planners, and include professional disciplines more concerned with social and community impacts of transport programmes on the poor, the use of transport in serving basic needs and the impact of transport on growth, development, reconstruction and redistribution. Such professional disciplines would include sociologists, environmental planners, political scientists and development planners, disciplines concerned with equity and developmental considerations, especially the distributional effects and impact of policy.

223. The intention is not to be prescriptive in the composition of such disciplines within any specific authority but to encourage far broader professional participation and involvement in transport decisions and a broadening of the skills base. However, transport authorities will be expected to demonstrate a multi­disciplinary approach to the identification of transport problems and issues and their solution by the inclusion of a more appropriate mix of professional disciplines within their strategic planning teams.

224. It must be acknowledged that the South African socio-political system has been dysfunctional and that many policies and decisions have been based on norms, values and cultures reflecting only the experiences, assumptions and expectations of a privileged minority sector of society. An objective need for corrective action should be evident. Most, if not all organisations involved in the planning and operation of transport systems seem to indicate a manifest imbalance if the composition of such departments is compared to their representation in the wider society.

225. To increase the awareness and understanding of the entire range of transport issues which are confronted by people and their specific needs for assistance and support requires a far greater appreciation and understanding of community issues and the differing values and priorities which are involved. To enhance the appropriateness and relevance of proposed solutions, it is necessary to extend and enrich the range of perceptions available to transport authorities. To restructure organisations to more closely reflect the broader social and cultural structure they serve and to correct the imbalances of the past, affirmative action policies and programmes should be adopted to redress gender and race inequalities at all levels of management within the existing organisational and institutional structures involved with transport. Such programmes must be accompanied by appropriate skills training to ensure that participants in such programmes are not disempowered by lack of education and training. Skills training should include mentoring, short-term intensive courses together with long-term technical and skills training. In addition, to allow equity programmes to function efficiently, multi­culturalism workshops are necessary to improve interpersonal and intergroup relationships and to improve existing organisational attitudes and perceptions.

226. In the final Constitution, it is stated that public administration must be broadly representative of the South African people with employment and personnel management practices based on ability, objectivity, fairness and the need to redress the imbalances of the past to achieve broad representation. This should be reflected in all transport administrations in the Western Cape.

227. In the Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works, the problem of employment inequality must be seriously addressed and the following procedure will be adopted:

227.1 a policy statement on race and gender affirmative action will be developed and communicated to all employees;

227.2 a Transformation Team, which is representative and inclusive, will be established which will develop, implement and coordinate this programme;

227.3 trade unions and all other employees must be consulted about the programme;

227.4 the statistical analysis and profile of the current workforce must be prepared;

227.5 all existing human resource development practices and policies must be reviewed;

227.6 specific estimates and objectives must be established with clear criteria, time frames and targets;

227.7 the programme must be monitored and evaluated.

228. A public report must be prepared on the workforce profile and programme outline and progress towards the realisation of the estimates and objectives regularly made available. All other transport authorities are encouraged to adopt similar procedures.

229. The absence of adequately trained staff will place a serious constraint on the ability to address the increasingly complex range of transport problems and issues in the Western Cape. This will inhibit the effective administration of powers and functions at most levels of government. For example, an Agency Responsibility Analysis which investigated the potential capabilities and resources which could be made available if a single metropolitan transport authority were to be established concluded that out of seven primary activities such a body could be expected to undertake, technical resources and abilities were deficient or inadequate in six. Similar, or even greater, potential deficiencies exist in all levels of transport authority.

230. Consequently, it is essential that appropriate human resources development training programmes be established as a matter of urgency. The range of transport­related skills taught at universities and technikons in the province must be enhanced considerably with particular attention being paid to highway engineering, traffic engineering, transportation planning, safety engineering and public transport planning and control. In addition, it is intended to approach specialised international training organisations and agencies, with a proven record of practical experience in transport operation and management, to provide specialised training modules on particular aspects. The opportunities for establishing skills transfer programmes with transport ministries in other countries will be explored. These will only be undertaken once agreements have been reached on establishing appropriate organisational structures and determining adequate staffing levels.

231. However, the central tenet of change management is revisioning, establishing a new direction for an organisation in response to significant shifts in the external environment. The organisational aims and intentions are reassessed and values and principles redefined. The organisation is subsequently assisted and helped to make that change. This requires the involvement of both internal and external stakeholders and the redefinition of internal structures, policies and systems. It is only through revisioning that a new environment can be created within which new skills, awareness and understanding can flourish and new capabilities utilised to the full. Procedures and processes must be established to enable this to occur at each level of transport authority within the province.

SECTION S - POLICY PROGRAMMING AND IMPLEMENTATION

section S.1 KEY issues

232. The proposed transport agenda for the province is extensive and ambitious, intended to produce measurable improvements in the quality and performance of the transport system within a realistic time frame. The range of issues it addresses are diverse, including many which had previously been outside of direct provincial control or interest. To adequately address these issues will require considerable adaptation and change by all organisations, agencies and levels of government involved with transportation in the province. Not only will this need significant shifts in attitude, perception, values and priorities, but a marked increase in the range and competence of professional and technical skills available to undertake the greatly extended transport roles and functions of all levels of government.

233. It seeks to initiate a systematic process of increasing implementation capacity through the combination of appropriate management structures and institutional capability and the creation of adequate skills and resource bases. It intends developing thoroughly professional and competent transport administrations at each level of government, able to competently discharge their full range of responsibilities. However, major policy shifts do not occur overnight; regrettably reform takes a great deal of time, consistency, commitment and constancy being essential requirements on the part of the reforming agency. Although the process can be accelerated, it significantly increases the amount of effort involved and increases organisational and political obstacles.

section s.2 : recommendations

234. The first three years following the adoption of these policies are critical. It is within this time period that additional funds will start to accrue to the provincial transport fund from the increase in vehicle licence fees. The primary call on these additional funds must be to enable organisational and institutional transformation to be completed and adequate resource levels to be established to ensure that the recommendations for expenditure identified in P3.4 are realised.

KEY ACTIONS : Year 0 to Year 3

234.1 Disseminate policy. Through training courses, workshops and seminars ensure that the content of provincial transport policy is understood.

234.2 Build organisational and institutional capacity and capability:

234.3 Initiate planning effort :

KEY ACTIONS - Year 3 to Year 7

234.4 Introduction of private vehicle restraint measures.

234.5 Improvement in public transport service provision.

234.6 Implementation of urban restructuring proposals and integration with broader reconstruction and development aims.

234.7 Assistance to the lower levels of government as required.

KEY ACTIONS : post Year 7

234.8 Continue process of growth, development, reconstruction and redistribution.

235. The provincial policy recommendations have been summarised in the appendix and have been assessed against a number of possible administrative, organisational and political impediments or constraints in order to determine the amount of effort likely to be necessary to resolve the constraints and to get each of the policies adopted and implemented. They have then been sorted into three distinct groups - minor reform which may take up to about a minimum of 3 years to implement, modest reform which may take a minimum of 3 to 4 years, and major reform which may take a minimum of 5 to 7 years.

236. To ensure that implementation is not frustrated by an inability to direct efforts consistently towards the achievement of defined policies and objectives, an independent and autonomous body should be nominated by the MEC: Transport and Public Works to advise him on the effectiveness of policy, the appropriateness of planning and institutional responses which are occurring at all levels of government and to generally monitor progress. Accordingly, it is intended to establish a Provincial Transport Board in the Western Cape to advise the MEC: Transport and Public Works. Its role and function will be as follows:

236.1 Advise on the further development and implementation of transport policy throughout the province;

236.2 Advise on the function of any authority concerned with the implementation of such policy;

236.3 Ensure that any such authority implements such policy properly in all respects;

236.4 Coordinate and supervise all matters concerning transport in the province;

236.5 Consider and approve any transport plan and identify any changes or amendments which may be required;

236.6 Provide advice to the specialist committees dealing with transport and infrastructure of the Provincial Development Council, Regional Development Councils and Local Development Forums;

236.7 Ensure the development of appropriate guidelines and procedures for undertaking transport studies;

236.8 Recommend on the necessity for additional or supplementary legislation to enable provincial policies to be realised;

236.9 Ensure the adoption of appropriate management practices by all transport authorities, particularly those relating to the objectives and programmes of affirmative action and change management;

236.10 Ensure the regular collection and display of transport information relating to the performance and productivity of the transport system.

237. It is anticipated that the Provincial Transport Board, or a sub-committee of that Board, will act as the Urban Transport Board as defined in the Urban Transport Act 78 of 1977 as assigned to the province in October 1995.