Hon Chair, hon Minister and the members of the House, good afternoon. As the Eastern Cape we participated throughout the process and hence we feel confident that we want to support the Bill without any reservations.
The people of the Eastern Cape welcome the passing of the National Land Transport Transition Amendment Bill, especially the change in policy regarding the use of bakkies as modes of transport or the use of other lightweight vehicles. The Bill manages to capture the difficulties endured by the majority of the people of the Eastern Cape, viz the inaccessibility and shortage of public transport.
As a province, when we got an electoral mandate, we had to provide fast, reliable, secure, accessible transport and hence we feel that this is a progressive Bill. That is why we are not reluctant to support it.
Public transport is inaccessible because of a lack of road infrastructure and operators are reluctant to use their conventional taxis, hence the use of bakkies or LDVs on our roads. The stakeholders welcomed the passenger safety aspect expressed and implied by the Bill as a non-negotiable necessity.
The survey of 2000 revealed that most people in the Eastern Cape walk long distances and others depend on public transport, especially in the form of bakkies or LDVs. The LDVs' owners expressed concern with regard to the application of the Act, especially with regard to the standards contemplated in the Bill. They are concerned about the conversion costs which may exceed the operating costs, and the question is who is going to carry that cost. That is the question we want to put to the Minister today, because we feel that that needs to be answered.
We are not, therefore, suggesting any recapitalisation of bakkies but such assistance needs to be forthcoming. The people of the province accept the passing of the Bill as it seeks to make their lives better and recognises that much work still needs to be done to make public transport safe, accessible and inexpensive.
The portfolio committee on roads and transport of the Eastern Cape provincial legislature is pleased about the passing of this Bill because of the recent events in the province that highlighted the conveyance of passengers for profit in lightweight vehicles.
The reality on the ground is that the lack of roads in rural areas and also in some urban areas makes the use of bakkies the most viable option. The people who suffer most from the lack of road infrastructure and public transport are the poorest in the province and this makes the Bill even more important than its technical significance of making bakkies comply with the law.
There is a concern, Minister, with regard to the understanding that this transitional Act is for a period of between five and seven years. We welcome that but the issue is: how are we going to monitor the maintenance of roads or even the surfacing of roads so that they comply for that particular period, to ensure that the utilisation of these bakkies has a lifespan limited to this particular period.
It is public knowledge that in provinces like the Eastern Cape it is not only about the roads, but also about the road infrastructure. We talk about bridges because there are areas where some of those bridges were swept away by the rains and as a result we need some pledges. It is a pity that the Minister of Finance has left because one would have wanted to know, with regard to the division of revenue, whether there is really a commitment from the national government to provide money that will fit the occasion. This will ensure that the time span that is allocated here will really be met by the province because of the infrastructural backlogs.
The committee is pleased that vehicles that carry between two and nine passengers are going to be permitted. In a vast province like ours, such a provision is needed because not all transport conditions are the same. I am talking here as someone representing areas where you would wait all day if vehicles that transport 11 or 36 or even 48 passengers were to be utilised, because we know what the mentality of our people is. If the taxi is not full it means that it won't travel that particular day. The committee also welcomes the fact that the Bill encourages our public transport to be safer by complying with minimum safety regulations, though we are pleased that the brake to aspect has been removed from the last version of the Bill. However, this shows that a lot of work still needs to be done to ensure that every operator complies with the regulations. The affordability factor of the conversion of the bakkie is worrying, because most of the operators in the province will struggle to acquire such modified vehicles and maintain them in the process.
The committee is satisfied that the Bill will achieve its intended purpose and encourages the Department of Transport to do more in addressing land transport inadequacies. We feel that if all that could be implemented we will walk the talk and better the lives of our people.