NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO 1515
DATE REPLY SUBMITTED: WEDNESDAY, 10 AUGUST 2011
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: FRIDAY, 10 JUNE 2011
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: NO 15 â 2011)
Mr M S F de Freitas (DA) asked the Minister of Transport:
(1) Whether any functions of the Road Traffic Management Corporation
(RTMC), as specified in its mandate, are being performed by another
entity; if so, (a) which functions, (b) which entities are performing
these functions, (c) since when has the entity in question been
performing the specified tasks, (d) why are these functions being
performed elsewhere and (e) what oversight and monitoring processes,
procedures and mechanisms exist over the specified functions in this
regard;
(2) whether there are any costs involved in letting other entities
perform these functions; if not, why not; if so,
(3) whether there are any plans to revert the responsibility of
performing these functions back to the RTMC; if not, why not; if so,
what are the (a) timeframes and (b) further relevant details?
NW1679E
REPLY:
The Minister of Transport:
(1) (a)
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) was established by an
Act of Parliament, namely the Road Traffic Management Corporation Act,
1999 (Act No 20 of 1999), and is mandated with the following functions
as per section 18 of the RTMC Act:-
I. Road Traffic Law Enforcement
II. Training of traffic personnel
III. Road Traffic information
IV. Accident investigations and recording
V. Communication and education
VI. Infrastructure safety audits
VII. Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences
VIII. Vehicle registration and licensing
IX. Vehicle and roadworthiness testing
X. Testing and licensing of drivers
(b)
The RTMC performs function (I) to (VII), while functions (VIII) to
(X) currently rest with the Department of Transport (DoT). The latter
must still be transferred from the DoT to the RTMC.
(c)
Function (VII) was transferred to the RTMC in 2009, when the Minister
of Transport approved that the RTMC must operationalise the
implementation of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic
Offences (AARTO).
(d)
At that time (2009), the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) was
not yet established, thus it became important that the RTMC performs
those administrative functions that should result in the full
implementation of AARTO.
(e)
Monitoring processes, procedures and mechanisms form part of the
report that the RTMC submits to the DoT, with specific reference to
the resource utilization and requirement relating to the
implementation of AARTO.
(2) Yes, there are costs involved, but parts of the costs are recoverable
from the process issued under AARTO, and some in terms of the business
plans submitted by the RTMC.
(3) (a) and (b)
At this stage the DoT is still monitoring the performance of the RTMC,
subsequent to the unauthorized and irregular utilization of funds
collected by the RTMC by the previous management, and the proposed
interventions highlighted in the report of the Task Team that I
appointed to carry out investigation into those allegations. The
remainder of the functions will only be transferred once I am
satisfied that the RTMC has implemented sound management processes.