Pretoria, 7 December 1999
Master of Ceremonies,
Representatives from the entire transport sector,
Colleagues from the Department of Transport,
Members of the media,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Thank you very much for being here today. Today, marks the beginning of a millennium countdown for us in transport. We are publicly and boldly saying to the world that as from today, start counting down. The transport sector will stand the test of time. We are Y2K compliant - that is the message I get from our various transport sectors.
The South African public expects reliable service from Government and deserve the confidence that critical government functions dependent on electronic systems will be performed accurately and in a timely manner. There is no doubt that minimising the Y2K problem will require a major technological and managerial effort and it is critical that the Government does its part in addressing this challenge. It is for this reason that a special Cabinet Committee has been guiding and monitoring the efforts by Government Departments and reporting back to Cabinet.
For us in transport, we have done every thing in the book to ensure that we remain relevant and compliant. Today, I am proud to share with you what we have achieved so far. As Minister, I am confident that our team in the transport sector has done an excellent job and come 31 December 1999 to 01 January 2000, we will be ready, Nomakanjani.
As you no doubt know, Aviation, Rail, Road and Maritime industries are the most important and critical sectors in transport which needed our attention. So let me give you a report on each sector.
In Aviation, the following organisations and agencies were critically assessed for Y2K readiness;
Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA)
The company is well advanced with their Year 2000 project. It has various outsource companies responsible for performing specific functions and liaise on a regular basis with all stakeholders at their airports. ACSA has completed all the mission critical systems and is currently busy with contingency plans. Existing contingency plans are reviewed and adapted to address possible Year 2000 related events. ACSA is Y2K ready.
South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA)
SACAA, being our air safety regulator, deals with variety of participants in the aviation environment. The majority of its actions as a safety regulator can be described as non-critical. SACAA has confirmed its Y2K readiness. Contingency plans, handwritten approvals or certificates have been devised. SACAA therefore, is also on board.
Air Traffic and Navigation Systems (ATNS)
ATNS issued a media statement to reassure the public that all the navigational and communication systems are Year 2000 compliant. There are contingency plans in place and they are being reviewed and adapted to address possible Year 2000 related events. These are well-defined plans and are in accordance with international standards. Users of the navigational systems are familiar and well trained in the various contingency plans. ATNS therefore, is also Y2K ready.
South African Airways (SAA)
This organisation is part of the Transnet group. SAA has confirmed that it is Y2k compliant and the public can rest assured that it is safe to fly on SAA at the end of the year and into the new year. In addition, contingency plans are in place to deal with any eventuality. SAA is also familiar with the contingency plans of other main role players within the Aviation Industry.
Air Transport has put a lot of effort into the Year 2000 project to ensure a safe environment for passengers and for the safe transportation of goods. Aircraft operating in South African airspace will not have any date-related problem. In addition, South African pilots are trained and examined on manual mode and will be able to fly on manual mode when needed.
Allow me to turn my attention to our Rail transport in which the roleplayers are the South African Rail Commuter Corporation (SARCC) and Spoornet.
For the SARCC there are Operational Control Centres for signalling, communication, train operations and networks in Cape Town, Pretoria, Durban and Johannesburg. The paradigm of ?fail safety' already built safety factors throughout all the elements in the mission-critical systems. All the signalling control systems are fail-safe. The power supply to most of the centres are doubled up and Year 2000 compliant. Every region has a comprehensive manual backup system to manage trains. The SARCC is also Y2K ready.
Spoornet is also a business unit of the Transnet group. The remediation of mission critical systems have been completed. The potential for Year 2000 problems in embedded equipment were identified within the train signalling systems.
Spoornet has put considerable effort into the identification of Year 2000 affected systems and equipment in order to understand and value the impact of Year 2000 on the organisation. Again, Spoornet is also ready.
Toll roads
The Tolplan has completed all system tests and the Year 2000 compliant Management Information Systems (MIS) has been implemented at all toll plazas. The plaza staff are also given basic training in the system changes, as well as new sets of user manuals for both the Plaza and Control Centre databases. Tolplan Consulting has completed an embedded system compliancy check, performed physically at every plaza and no major problems were encountered. On our toll roads therefore it is all systems "go".
Traffic management systems
Concerns were raised by various individuals and organisations around the functioning of traffic lights and the traffic management systems. This is under the direct control of the 9 Provincial Governments and the 700 plus Local Authorities. The Department of Constitutional Development has appointed M2k to ensure that Local Authorities will be Year 2000 compliant. We have been assured that the process in establishing Y2K readiness is under control.
Fuel supply
The National Department of Transport is in consultation with the Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs (DME) with regard to fuel supply. The major fuel stations along all national roads will be in a position to supply fuel. DME is familiar with the requirements for fuel from the Transport Sector and will manage any fuel problems accordingly. We have been assured that there will be no problems.
South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA)
SAMSA has ensured at the time of the creation of the organisation, that all equipment is Year 2000 compliant. Our Maritime authority is therefore Y2K compliant.
Portnet (Business unit of Transnet)
In Portnet, the installation of mission critical systems were scheduled to be completed early in the Year 2000 programme. They were closely monitored while other systems followed thereafter. All the mission critical systems are now Year 2000 compliant. In the event of disaster the normal implemented disaster plans will come into effect. The normal reporting procedure will also apply. Portnet is therefore Y2K compliant.
That is a brief report on the state of Y2K readiness in the various transport sectors. I can also say that high level contingency plans exist and will be available in my Department at the Communication Room. Each sector has it's own detailed contingency plans. Definition of each sector exists and includes Government related organisations as well as private sector organisations. All the mission critical systems were identified as well as the risk factor for the systems. Contingency plans were compiled and were tested as far as practically possible. Key personnel were identified to be responsible in the different sectors.
Coincidentally, today is the Civil Aviation Day. As we near the end of the 20th century, air transport is recognised as the safest mode of transport in the world. The strict adherence to International Civil Aviation regulations and the modernisation of global air navigation systems are necessary to maintain the high degree of aviation safety throughtout the 21st century.
The theme of this year's annually celebrated International Civil Aviation Day is "Promoting global friendship and understanding" These celebrations mark the creation of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) on 7 December 1944.
May I conclude with the 6 Road Safety Commandments of Arrive Alive which all of you should observe. These are;
Thank you.
For further information contact
Mike Mabasa
0836807048