Chairperson, may we, from the ACDP, firstly congratulate you Minister and Deputy Minister on your appointments as Minister of Transport and Deputy Minister of
Transport. This is indeed a critical portfolio given the high number of commuters who are either injured or who die on our roads and rails everyday.
I travel on the notorious N2 from Somerset West to Parliament in Cape Town and three weeks ago I came across a collision involving three taxis and a sedan. It had just occurred so I stopped and I called the emergency services. Then I went and as the passengers were, thankfully, not seriously injured but traumatised, I spoke to them and helped them to the side of the road.
It just indicated to me that this is the lived experience of millions of those commuters on a daily basis. This is on the N2 right here and I am sure many of us have seen these incidents.
We, from the ACDP, express our deepest condolences to those who have lost loved ones particularly in horrific bus collusions. Minister, we have to do more. I am sure that we, from the ACDP side, would like to come alongside you and assist in safety for our citizens.
Let us not forget that it is not only commuters that are affected because in the previous Parliament we had Members of Parliament who were also killed on the roads. We remember those incidences as well. So, when we consider the Metrorail train services, many commuters arrive late, if at all, and they are subject to serious overcrowding. Minister, thank you for also going on the train and experiencing that at first hand.
We saw the issue relating to torching of trains again yesterday. How is it that so many carriages have been torched and destroyed yet no one has been convicted of that? I have just come back from the Portfolio Committee on Justice with the National Prosecuting Authority and these are the issues we need to address.
The spirit of lawlessness on our roads and rail systems must be addressed and eradicated. That having been said, surely Minister, it is incomprehensible to allow those who are guilty of reckless and negligent driving, or even driving under the influence of alcohol, to be able to claim under the proposed
Road Accident Benefit Scheme which has to be reintroduced to this Sixth Parliament.
Is this not, in effect, rewarding criminal behaviour? Those persons that caused those collisions will be treated at public and private hospitals, whatever the case may be, but why should they be entitled to claim? Will that not place additional pressure upon the Road Accident Fund?
Hon Minister, we would like to urge you to involve civil society and faith- based communities. Speak to church leaders and let them have sermons on road safety and speak out against alcohol so that we can come alongside and take hands, not only praying for safety on our roads, but also consciously encouraging congregants and other faith-based that they need to be responsible on the roads. Thank you very much.