Chairperson, Minister, I wish to congratulate you on your department's various achievements and on actually implementing the National Public Transport Regulator, which is very important.
U departement staar egter steeds heelwat komplekse probleme in die gesig. Openbare vervoer is steeds baie gebrekkig en word sonder behoorlike planne uitgevoer. Die feit dat die regering nie 'n gentegreerde treinspoorplan het nie, maar steeds voortgaan met die beplanning van nuwe spoorlyne, is kommerwekkend. 'n Holistiese vervoerplan is uiteindelik nodig om aan Suid- Afrika se behoeftes te voldoen.
'n Voorbeeld van sodanige skewe beplanning is dat die Minister in 'n geskrewe antwoord aan my oor die sinvolheid van die e-tolstelsel aangedui het dat e-tol motoriste sal dwing om gebruik te maak van openbare vervoer. In reaksie daarop moet 'n mens vra: Watter openbare vervoer? Openbare vervoer vir die arm gemeenskappe is onveilig en bestaan amper nie vir die middelklas en diegene in die platteland nie.
Deel van die uitdagings van die departement is die finansiering van vervoerprojekte, sommige waarvan die regering ernstige skade kan berokken. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Your department is, however, still faced with many complex problems. Public transport remains mostly deficient and is executed without proper planning. The fact that the government does not have an integrated railway plan, yet it continues with the planning of new railway lines is alarming. A holistic transport plan is needed in the end so as to meet South Africa's needs.
An example of such skewed planning is that the Minister, in a written reply to me regarding the meaningfulness of the e-tolling system, indicated that e-tolling would force motorists to make use of public transport. In reaction to this one must ask: What public transport? Public transport is dangerous for the poor communities and is virtually nonexistent for the middle class and those in the rural areas.
A part of the challenges of the department is the funding of transport projects, some of which could cause the government serious harm.]
The first problem arose due to poor planning and poor public consultation, known as the infamous e-tolls. Though this is not a creature of your own creation, Minister, you do unfortunately have the unenviable task of solving this conundrum. The hugely expensive toll system has already been built, yet carries no legitimacy in the eyes of the public. You are faced with a possible tax revolt, as people have resolved not to pay, even if the system switches on. One cannot possibly arrest thousands of non payers. So, what is one to do? The elegant way out of this is to divert the income on the existing Gauteng 95 octane levy to the SA National Roads Agency Limited to cover the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project's expenses.
Use the gantries as traffic information monitoring and speed limit enforcement instruments. In this way you will resolve a looming conflict and make positive use of the existing e-toll technologies. If not, you might continue to face countless legal actions and popular revolt within an already unstable socioeconomic environment.
Die tweede probleem het ontstaan weens die wanbestuur van Transnet se pensioenfonds, wat nou gelei het tot 'n eis van R85 miljard teen Transnet en die regering. Sou die eis slaag, kan Transnet geeneen van sy beplande uitbreidingsprogramme voltooi nie, want daar sal eenvoudig nie geld wees nie. Daarom sal die Minister dringend met die President hieroor in gesprek moet tree ten einde 'n sinvolle oplossing te vind. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.) [The second problem arose from the maladministration of Transnet's pension fund, which has now resulted in a claim of R85 billion against Transnet and the government. If that claim should be successful, Transnet will not be able to complete any of its planned development programmes, because there will simply be no money. That is why the Minister will have to enter into serious discussions with the President about this in order to find a meaningful solution.]
Minister, another problem is the state's patent inability to adhere to its own laws, like the Administration Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act, or Aarto. The testing of this Act in Johannesburg and Pretoria, Tshwane, failed dismally as the Metro Police has usurped the roles of the Road Traffic Infringement Agency, RTIA, and intimidates the public to pay illegal fines, while the metros illegally block the issuance of licences based on outstanding, yet illegal, fines. Government's inability to manage this complex Act is but a micro cosmos of all other transport challenges that we face in this country.
Minister, dalk is dit goeie advies om eers die basiese reg te kry voordat ambisieuse projekte soos die e-tol en Aarto aangepak word, wat tot dusver net kaders en korrupte amptenare ryk gemaak het. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.) [Minister, maybe it is good advice first to get the basics right before ambitious projects such as e-tolling and Aarto are tackled, which up to now have only enriched cadres and corrupt officials. I thank you.]