NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO 1341
DATE REPLY SUBMITTED: WEDNESDAY, 28 JULY 2010
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: FRIDAY, 7 MAY 2010
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: NO 12 â 2010)
Mr E J Marais (DA) asked the Minister of Transport:
(1) Whether there is a department or division in his department that
researches modern innovations, inventions and ideas within the
transport sector; if so, (a) which department or division and (b) what
is its mandate; if not,
(2) whether there are plans to consider establishing such a department or
division; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are
the relevant details;
(3) whether any new and modern transport and transport-related
innovations have been considered by his department during the past
three financial years for which information is available; if not, why
not; if so, (a) how many, (b) what are the details of these
innovations and (c) which of these innovations have been taken up and
introduced? NW1577E
REPLY:
The Minister of Transport:
1) Yes.
a)
The Directorate for Innovation Strategy in the Branch: Transport
Policy and Economic Regulation, is the division in the Department of
Transport that researches modern innovations, inventions and ideas
within the transport sector.
b)
The mandate of the Directorate: Innovation Strategy is to implement
and manage transport innovation and technology research strategy, do
research on new developments and to build partnerships regarding
research and developmental issues.
(2) Falls away.
(3) (a), (b) and (c)
The Directorate: Innovation Strategy continuously receives
suggestions from members of the public and stakeholders on modern
innovations, inventions and ideas within the transport sector. There
are numerous transport and transport-related innovations that have
been considered by the Department of Transport during the past three
financial years. These include, amongst others:
⢠Electric cars submission â The Directorate: Innovation Strategy
provided an input on behalf of the Department of Transport.
⢠A study conducted by the University of Stellenbosch in the Western
Cape, coordinated by the Directorate: Research Studies, Department
of Transport, on the use of Global Positioning Devices in Travel
Surveys: A Developing Country Application.
⢠In partnership with the Chief Directorate: Economic Analysis,
Department of Transport, the Directorate: Innovation Strategy took
an initiative to develop and analyse policy implications of car
ownership and car use in South Africa. (This is still in a process
of being finalised).