Chairperson, since the dawn of democracy, the IFP and South Africans have been calling for development and reform in this sector. Unfortunately, the ANC-led government does not see this sector as a strategic mechanism to drive South Africa's GDP, gross domestic product.
Rather, the current government's commitment is to use this sector to pay into the pockets of their comrades. Recently, the Road Accident Benefit Scheme Bill was introduced and pushed through by the ruling party, which gave the Minister another method to loot state resources.
With the constant rise of fuel, e-tolls in Gauteng are adding to the financial strain on South Africans and ultimately,
discouraging productivity. Premier Makhura has promised to ... [Interjections.] ... Hayi wena! [Stop it.] Premier Makhura has promised to remove e-tolls. Furthermore, he did not propose any actual timelines to achieve this. His efforts were further diminished, as the Minister of Finance has no will to fast-track this change because he is not transformed. The lack of alternative means of transportation pins South Africans into a tight corner, whereby we are forced to use e-tolls and pay the ridiculously high rates to use it.
Metrorail is not an alternative. We can currently not rely on it to ease the road network, as it is one of the worst-managed and worst-policed systems in this country. Daily, people face uncertainty as to whether they will come home safe or get home before nightfall. It is a system that, through its uncertainty of service and efficiency, places people in danger on and off the network. It also forces people to be late for work, which results in the loss of productivity and wages.
With the current unreliable public transportation system, people are forced to make use of the road network. The road network, as
a result, is under huge pressure to accommodate high levels of traffic. Currently, the department is failing to ensure the safety of road users, as South Africa experiences an unacceptable high level of deaths on our roads.
The department itself has been failing to achieve its targets, which simply means money has been wasted and not efficiently used. Government wants to increase tax and further burden the taxpayer and when they do not deliver, they simply ask for more money, without consequence. This must come to an end.
South Africans and the IFP feel that the transport sector needs reform and development that drives South Africa's GDP, ensures safety and security and promises efficiency.
The IFP calls for the premier together with the Minister of Transport to immediately scrap e-tolls, in order to speed up and encourage the productivity of our GDP. Furthermore, the state must heavily invest in a mass transportation network for inner- city and intercity transportation. This network must be affordable, efficient and safe. It must be placed on the primary
agenda of development of the state and be corruption, collusion and patronage free.
In the meantime, the department must ensure that all current transportation systems are safe and that they reach 95% of its efficiency before the next annual Budget Vote.
Finally, we set a target for this department to reduce road fatalities by 50% during the December festive period. In order to achieve this, the department must work to reduce potholes and unsafe road infrastructure. It must collaborate with the police, to clamp down on drunk drivers, un- roadworthy cars and taxis. The IFP supports this Budget Vote 35. I thank you.
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