Committee Report on DoT 2020/21 Quarter 1 Performance

Meeting report

The Chairperson accepted apologies from the Minister of Transport and Mr M Chabangu (EFF). He reported that he had spoken to the parliamentary communications services about the importance of live-streaming the portfolio committee meetings on Youtube.

Ms Valerie Carelse, Committee Secretary, reported that there had been minor numbering and indentation errors in the proofs of the Economic Regulation of Transport (ERT) Bill B-list. The document was expected to be ready within half an hour.

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Transport on the 2021/22 First Quarter Expenditure of the Department of Transport (DoT)

Adv Alma Nel, Committee Content Advisor, presented the report, which detailed the DoT’s spending on each of its seven programmes and on COVID-19-related activities, as well as the Committee’s observations and recommendations. The Committee had observed that the Department: had underspent in several areas, had not budgeted for formalisation of the taxi industry despite commitments made at the transport lekgotla, had achieved little in rail and scholar transport, and still had large numbers of vacancies, among other observations. The Committee recommended that the Department: explain its underspending and vacancies, and provide a timeframe for the road to rail freight transition, among other recommendations.

The report was adopted.

The EFF abstained.

Committee minutes dated 16 November 2021

The minutes were considered and adopted.

Clause-by-clause deliberations on the Economic Regulation of Transport (ERT) Bill [B1 – 2020]: Consideration and adoption of Committee report on the Bill

After a short delay, the proofs of the ERT Bill B-list were delivered.

Ms Raksha Haricharan, State Law Advisor, said that there might need to be further corrections to the Bill and requested a few minutes to consult with the Committee Secretary.

The Chairperson granted her request.

Mr C Hunsinger (DA) proposed that the item be postponed as the documents were clearly not ready and the staff were not prepared.

The Chairperson agreed. He instructed the Secretary and the State Law Advisor to ensure that the necessary documents were correct at the next meeting.

The meeting was adjourned.