In the first decade of democracy in South Africa, public transport and freight logistics challenges tended not to receive adequate strategic attention and resourcing. There were many, perhaps understandable, reasons for this – the task of consolidating our democratic institutions; the daunting challenges of providing low-cost housing and accessible health-care; the transformation of education; and the rolling-out of social grants, these were some of the obvious priorities. There was also the imperative of addressing serious macro-economic imbalances. With the commencement of our second decade of democracy, it is no exaggeration to say that the centrality of transport to achieving our economic growth and social developmental targets is now much more widely appreciated.

President Mbeki has repeatedly underlined the importance of major infrastructural investment to lower the costs of doing business in South Africa, and he has also stressed the key strategic role of the public sector in this regard. Some of the economic successes of the first decade of democracy, like a surge in exports, have highlighted bottle-necks in our freight logistics system. These bottle-necks present policy, institutional and investment challenges, which require elucidation, public debate and effective intervention.

A surge in urbanisation and the important delivery of low-cost housing (but often in distant peri-urban locations), over the last decade, have placed significant new burdens on our public transport systems. There are many institutional challenges on the public transport front. How do we better harmonise the efforts of different spheres of government? How do ensure better inter-modal connections, so that commuter rail, buses and mini-buses operate as part of a single urban-wide system, rather than as competing entities? Are mini-bus operators forever locked into this particular mode, or should they become co-owners and partners in multi-mode public transport enterprises in our towns and cities? Is our urban infrastructure privileging motor-cars, owned by a small minority, to the disadvantage of a majority who rely on public transport? How do we ensure more equitable subsidisation of public transport?

Over the past decade, we have made steady progress in stabilising road accident statistics, including through a now well-branded Arrive Alive campaign. However, in common with most other developing countries, South Africa is still faced with a very serious challenge in regard to road injuries and fatalities – with some 40% of these fatalities being pedestrians. More effective and better coordinated law enforcement is critical, but there are also important questions in regard to spatial planning, including the provision of dedicated passenger transport lanes, and the fostering of more sustainable communities with improved and more equitable accessibility to resources and institutions for the poor.

Transport is, by its nature, a cross-cutting reality. It is central to sustainable economic growth, in our country and region. It is integral also to overcoming the challenges of economic dualism and persisting underdevelopment. For the Transport Portfolio Committee these manifold challenges will provide us with much work in the coming five years – legislation will have to be developed and amended; innovative policy development is needed; and dynamic interaction with all key stake-holders public and private, employers and trade unions, the formal and informal sectors is imperative. The strategic plan tabulated below is our attempt to stake-out the key features of our work in the coming five years.

Chairperson,

Portfolio Committee

The priority of the Committee is to contribute to a significant improvement in the accessibility, affordability and safety of public transport in our country. A second priority is contributing to the improvement of capacity, effectiveness and efficiency in our freight logistics systems (air, maritime, ports, road and rail) in their national, regional and international contexts. Related to these concerns are transport safety and effective enforcement, and the role of transport in contributing to our country’s overall growth and development objectives, particularly in regard to job creation and employment intensity.

To promote an active multiparty structure that will contribute to the above mission by engaging effectively with

• The development of relevant and enabling transport legislation and regulations;
• The oversight of the Department of Transport and the various institutions and agencies that fall under the National Transport budget, and an active engagement with all key stake-holders in the sector;
• The development and ongoing evaluation of transport policy.

To ensure that over the next five years the Committee contributes actively to:

• Transformation of the minibus sector
• More effective development of public transport subsidies and financing
• Fostering local level transport planning and regulation in the context of integrated development plans
• Ensuring that the mobility needs of rural people, students and the disabled are more adequately addressed
• The improvement of road safety enforcement and regulation, and of security in public transport
• The reform of the Road Accident Fund
• Monitoring of progress in ensuring effective transport for the 2010 World Cup Soccer championships
• More effective integration and sustaining of our freight logistics infrastructure and operations
• Monitoring of the role of transport in the Expanded Public Works Programme and in job creation in transport infrastructure development
• Assist the ongoing development of the DoT’s institutional capacity

Parliamentary Support Staff for the Committee

Committee Secretary:

Telephone: (021) 403 3727

Miss Nomonde Mjoli

Fax: (021) 403 2854