Deputy Chairperson, hon Minister, hon members, I also would like to welcome the delegation from Zanzibar.
The National Railway Safety Regulator Amendment Bill seeks to amend the National Railway Safety Regulator Act, Act 16 of 2002. The principal Act established the Railway Safety Regulator whose main responsibility is the overseeing of the safety of railway operations and to promote rail as an efficient mode of transport in South Africa.
The objectives of the Bill include the following: To amend the principal Act of 2002 so as to insert certain definitions; to extend the ambit of a threat to safety to include behaviour; to empower the Minister to include monorail systems, trams and systems running on pneumatic tyres within the current ambit of the Act; to clarify that operators remain responsible for railway transport safety and that the function of the regulator is to promote improved safety performance in the railway transport industry in order to promote the use of rail as a mode of transport; to clarify the role of operators' associations; and to clarify the role of the regulator in relation to the transportation of dangerous goods.
All provinces held public hearings where the Bill was thoroughly deliberated and all provinces support the Bill. I therefore request this House also to support the Bill. I thank you.
Debate concluded.
Question put: That the Bill be agreed to.
IN FAVOUR: Eastern Cape, Free State, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, Western Cape.
ABSTAIN: Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal.
Bill accordingly agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.