Ja, dis 'n moeilike affre hierdie. Ek weet nie of die agb Watson hom al ooit van punt A na punt B in 'n taxi bevind het nie, en ek dink dis as gevolg daarvan dat hy hierdie houding ingeneem het, om liewer oor toerisme te praat as oor die vervoer van ons mense in die hele Suid- Afrika. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Rev P MOATSHE: Yes, this is a difficult matter. I do not know whether the hon Watson has ever travelled from point A to point B in a taxi, and I think that as a result of this, he has adopted this approach of speaking about tourism rather than about the transport of our people in the whole South Africa.]
I think this Bill is long overdue and it cannot be delayed unless we live in a different world and not in South Africa. Our people are dying because this industry has not been regulated. Only a few people have been regulating it in the way that they want. One place differs from the other. The main aim of this Bill is to regulate so that there is uniformity in the entire country for the safety of our people.
Maybe it is because we live in two worlds. The other world does not use taxis. They are quite capable of using their cars because they are rich. There are people who do not have any means of transport and who depend solely on the taxis, the buses. That is why there is this outcry that the taxis should also be subsidised. Obviously I think, hon member, we are talking from different perspectives.
In spite of the fact that provinces would have loved to have more public hearings, obviously those provinces that took the matter seriously had their public hearings. That is why we as a select committee received the appropriate submissions by these provinces. I don't think what the hon member said here carries much weight. How do you equate this with tourism? I think in the tourism field things are fine. There are no skoroskoro [rickety] taxis in the field of tourism. They are on our roads. They are unlicensed, and so on.
This government wants to take a positive step so that these correctional measures are taken. Therefore, this Council will have to support the Bill or are we still living in two worlds? Do we still have two South Africas? I can't believe it. At this point in time we should understand what the dynamics and the challenges are that we are facing.
The transport sector in any economy, no matter how big or small, determines to a large extent the pulse rate of that economy. Our country is no exception. The role of transport as an input sector in the economy is critical and requires extensive and sustainable investment in all its facets. Moreover, given the crucial role it has to play in the second economy, further investment is required in the public transport sector to ensure the transformation of the current commuter system to an integrated public transport system. This should serve the entire South African society, particularly focusing on improving efficiency in the transport services in urban areas and extending services to the previously disadvantaged and rural areas.
The Department of Transport's obligations are underpinned by the constitutional and legislative mandates. Thus it places great responsibility on the department to ensure sustainable, reliable, safe and efficient movement of people and goods. This, we believe, is the pursuit locally, on the continent and internationally, by means of a transport system that responds to the needs of the integrated first and second economies. Therefore, we are entrusted with the responsibility to ensure that the Department of Transport discharges its obligations sincerely in regard to the challenges of economic growth, social cohesion and poverty alleviation.
It is indeed incumbent upon the department to encourage participation in socioeconomic activities over the broadest possible spectrum. Our concerns as the ANC are highlighted by the comprehensive national household services survey of 2003 that canvassed 50 000 people countrywide. This survey revealed extremely high levels of dissatisfaction about lack of safety, security on trains and affordability amongst our people. It shows that a large percentage of South Africans spend more than 10% of their income and in some instances even more than 20% on public transport. This is seriously disconcerting. What the survey also shows is that our people are very passionate and equally angry about the state of public transport.
Which brings us to the Bill before us today. The provision of safe, affordable, accessible intermodal public transport is envisaged as a key objective in our major policy documents, notably, "Moving South Africa", in the Action Agenda. Although the Bill is wide-ranging in terms of the scope of the amendment, it seeks to give expression to some of the imperatives spelled out in this policy document.
In this regard, sections 7 and 8 provide for the Minister to prepare, on an annual basis and in consultation with the MECs, a five-year National Land Transport Strategic Framework for the country. In addition, the Minister is also statutorily bound to update the National Land Transport Strategic Framework. This we believe will not only rectify some of the complexities associated with planning and co-ordinating, but it is also more realistic than the previous provision of updating every year. Moreover, in section 10, the question of transport across provincial boundaries and areas of planning authorities is addressed through the provision for integrated transport plans. This amendment is necessitated by, for example, the operation of particularly tourist buses across provincial boundaries.
Let us support this Bill. It is long overdue. Our people out there are waiting. Thank you. [Time expired.]