Hon Chairperson, I will start by saying that the IFP supports Budget Vote No 37. [Applause.]
However, this support comes with concerns that still need the department's attention. The first concern has to do with the Gauteng e-tolling saga, where the SA National Roads Agency, Sanral, and the Transport Department insist on going ahead with it despite the continued massive public outcry, from the Congress of South African Trade Unions, Cosatu, protests by organisations, the opposition, and the Urban Tolling Alliance group taking the department to court. The Minister's statement in the NCOP implied that tolling was the only way to pay for road development. This shows either a lack of research on his part or a deliberate move to ignore the concerns of the general public.
With no proper public engagement done on the issue, Minister ...
... ngangikhona e-Gauteng kanye nase-Tshwane, lapho abantu basho kahle bathi: Mayingaqhubeki i-e-tolling. [Ubuwelewele.] [... I was there in Gauteng and Tshwane, where people clearly said that e-tolling must not continue. [Interjections.]]
It is cause for concern that the department is determined to push through with e-tolling without listening to the will of the people. E-tolling cannot be expected to succeed while such massive opposition to it still exists.
The department needs to improve the level of service that is provided to the people, but not at the expense of the very people that they serve. The road can and should be maintained with the current funds from the department and not by overburdening the population with additional tax for using public transport.
Bathini abaholi base-Gauteng, ikakhulukazi abangamalungu e-SACP? Bathini abaholi baKhongolose abahlala e-Gauteng? Bathini abaholi be-Cosatu abahlala e-Gauteng? Ngabe basakhuluma ulimi lwabantu base-Gauteng noma sebekhuluma olwabo? Mina ngikhuluma njengomuntu ohlala e-Gauteng futhi oyaziyo impilo yase-Gauteng. Abantu base-Gauteng bathi phansi nge-e-tolling. [Ubuwelewele.] (Translation of isiZulu paragraph follows.)
[What are the leaders from Gauteng saying, especially those who are members of the SACP? What are the leaders of the ANC who are staying in Gauteng saying? What are the leaders from Cosatu who are staying in Gauteng saying? Are they still representing the people of Gauteng or themselves? I am speaking as a person who stays in Gauteng and who knows about life in Gauteng. The people from Gauteng said: Away with e-tolling. [Interjections.]]
As the department continues to fight our people when it comes to the issue of e-tolls, potholes seem to be ignored and allowed to worsen around the country. Whenever potholes are reported, and the department actually decides to fix them, concrete is sometimes used as a temporary solution, which only makes things worse over time. Vehicles are damaged because of these potholes and even serious and sometimes fatal accidents are caused by them. If the department put sincere effort to fixing the roads properly, we will see the massive reduction in accidents and damage to vehicles.
The department continues to subsidise big bus companies at the expense of small companies that find it difficult to compete with the big companies. The smaller companies struggle to even get government contracts because these contracts are normally allocated to larger companies, undercutting the abilities of smaller business owners to expand and contribute to the growth of the economy and transportation in the country. Any further investment in the transport sector must include the smaller industry players so as to encourage a robust and healthy competitive environment for all stakeholders.
The taxi recapitalisation programme, on the one hand, can be hailed as a success as many taxis that were not roadworthy were removed from our roads. However, the lack of proper financial management of the programme's budget means that a lot of money was spent on acquiring the taxis and very little, if any, was recovered from selling many parts of the taxi for recycling. Some aspects of recapitalisation processes have caused tensions within the taxi industry, with violence erupting in many places, mainly due to the fact that many taxi drivers and owners are not willing to embrace change. The attempt to incorporate taxis into the changing mainstream transport system has always brought about friction and as much as there has been progress in the formalisation of the taxi industry, there is still resistance in many areas.
One of the other many contentions within the taxi industry is the issuing of licences. Due to the major backlog in the issuing of licences a large number of taxi drivers in the country do not have licences to operate their taxis, so they drive them illegally. This results in a situation where the taxi drivers try to earn an income in order to provide for their families, but fall foul of the law because they do not have operating licences. The department needs to have another look at the current licensing system and try to streamline the process as soon as possible, because the taxi industry is an essential part of the public transport system.
In its legitimate attempt to improve the country's roads, the department must work with the people and not antagonise them in improving our roads and reducing fatalities. Because transport is such a major part of our country's lifeblood, all major stakeholders must be involved in its advancement and not overlooked by a department that desires to have its way no matter what the cost. The department is there to serve the people - the people are not there to serve the department. If they are not listened to, no good will come out of plans that the department has to improve our transport system.
Ngqongqoshe, ngicela uhambe uye kobheka umgwaqo osuka eSilutshana uya eKranskop. Lo mgwaqo ungamakhilomitha ayi-170. Ngiyabonga. [Ihlombe.] [Minister, can you please go and check the road that goes from Silutshana to Kranskop. This road is 170 km long. Thank you. [Applause.]]