Mohlomphegi Modulasetulo, mohlomphegi Tona ya t?a Dinamelwa, Motlat?a Tona, Maloko a Palamente ao a hlomphegago le bahlomphegi bao ba tlilego lehono, madume. [Hon Chairperson, hon Minister of Transport, Deputy Minister, hon Members of Parliament and distinguished guests present here today, I greet you all.]
According to the World Bank, more than 1,17 million people die in road crashes around the world every year. About 70% of these deaths occur in developing countries. It is estimated that developing countries lose in the region of $1 billion every year to road accidents.
South Africa is not immune to this unpalatable state of affairs. This brief seeks to establish what the state of road traffic management is in the country, as well as to ascertain whether there are measures in place to curb this worldwide phenomenon and ensure that there is safety on the country's roads. There are over 7 million licensed drivers and over 8 million registered vehicles in South Africa. Pedestrians account for 50% of road crash fatalities. More than 16 000 people are killed yearly due to road accidents, and this costs the country more than R56 billion annually. It is estimated that if nothing drastic is done to curb this scourge, road crashes will be the second largest cause of deaths by 2020, which is higher than HIV and Aids and malaria-related deaths put together.
Available evidence suggests that the primary risk group, as far as road infringements are concerned, are men between 18 and 45 years. Included in this broad group is the high level of public transport and heavy vehicle crashes, as well as noncompliance with driving permits in these categories of drivers. Other contributory factors include, but are not limited to, driving while a person is intoxicated; lack of compliance in respect of seat belts; speed; vehicle conditions; fraud and corruption.
The vehicle population on the country's roads is increasing every year, posing a peculiar danger to motorists who drive recklessly. While the production numbers are on the increase, the driver's attitudes do not improve, and in most cases motorists fail to comply with the rules of the road.
It was against this backdrop that two entities were established through Acts of Parliament: the Road Traffic Management Corporation, RTMC, and the Cross-Border Road Transport Agency, CBRTA. Unfortunately, both entities have enormous challenges to meet and could not optimally fulfil their mandate. It is a pity that some of the committee members who claim to have been in Parliament for the past 20 years, and who were part of the establishment of these entities, did nothing to support them or make sure that they functioned effectively.
Of the two, the CBRTA has improved a lot. It presented an impressive turnaround strategy which indicates that given time, support and adequate financial resources the CBRTA can fulfil its mandate. It is important to indicate that the CBRTA can sustain itself by spearheading social and economic development within the SADC region through facilitating unimpeded cross border transport movements. Our view in the portfolio committee is that the CBRTA should be given a chance to implement its strategy and also that a close eye be kept on it, as an entity that has not done well for some years.
The RTMC has two challenges. There is a need to review the National Land Transport Act in order to address its institutional arrangements and its relationship with metro and municipal traffic structures. Another challenge is that of management and governance, which compelled the Minister to intervene and institute an investigation within the entity. The unfortunate part of this scenario is that it delays the process of transformation at road traffic management level. The Department of Transport presented an intervention proposal to the portfolio committee and the committee concurred with it. The portfolio committee views the Road Traffic Management Corporation very seriously. It recommended in its report to the department that it must consider taking over the operations of the RTMC until such time these challenges are addressed.
Another tool established through an Act of Parliament to curb road crashes is the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences, AARTO. The objective of AARTO is to promote road traffic quality by providing a scheme to discourage road traffic contraventions. There will be little or no attitudinal change unless people are held individually and collectively accountable for their actions.
The implementation of AARTO will provide the following: swift adjudication of infringements, enforcement of penalties, a points demerit system, effective policing of offences, and providing education and awareness.
Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences was first piloted in Tshwane on 16 June 2008, and later extended to Johannesburg. It was however postponed in 2010, subsequent to representation from various sectors, including certain provinces, municipalities and organised labour. Challenges with communication and educating the public on their rights, duties and obligations were also identified during the pilot implementation phase. Other issues of concern were training people to use the system, and effective performance of the system when uploading infringement information. It is intended to be rolled out as soon as the challenges are addressed.
On 1 October 2010 the Department of Transport inaugurated the new National Rolling Traffic Law Enforcement Plan, NREP, which enables law enforcement officers to stop and check no less than one million vehicles every month. The NREP is a direct intervention to end the daily carnage on South Africa's road networks and will become a permanent feature of life in the country.
In less than 3 hours on 14 October 2010, 783 vehicles were stopped and checked in East London in the Eastern Cape. Drivers were fined for 438 various traffic offences; 32 vehicles were discontinued from use; 17 public transport vehicles were impounded due to their not having transport permits, and one stolen motor vehicle was recovered.
Sihlalo Lohlon, ngalokuba khona kwalomtsetfo, Litiko Letekutfutsa likholelwa ekutseni kutiphatsa kahle kwebashayeli, nekuhlonishwa Kwemtsetfo Wetekuphepha Emgwacweni, kutaba ncono. [Hon Chairperson, with the availability of this Act, the Department of Transport believes that the discipline of drivers, compliance with the Road safety Act improve.]
This major law enforcement drive in South Africa reflects government's commitment to reducing road carnage by half by 2014, in line with the Millennium Development Goal and the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety.
There is also, hon Minister, Aviation Traffic Management. South Africa is doing well in this sector and is recognised all over the world for having the ability to manage air traffic. The process of transforming this sector started in 1995, and we had our first black pilot by the name of Mpho Mamashile. He is one of the many successful people from a poor background. He played a crucial role of father and councillor to black crew members who were exposed for the first time to the heavy demands of this sector. Today we have black female CEOs for the Airports Company South Africa and South African Airways, Monhla Hlahla and Siza Mzimela. These are the products of our democracy.
Unfortunately, we cannot say the same about the South African Maritime Safety Authority, SAMSA. It was an unfortunate situation in 1993 when the apartheid government, at the dawn of our democracy, decided to sell all its fleet, 57 of them, closing opportunities to participate in the transportation of cargo and job opportunities at sea. The South African Maritime Safety Authority has colleges that train youth from poor backgrounds to participate in this sector. Unfortunately, after completion of their programme, they don't get employment. They are placed on foreign ships which expose them to difficult working conditions.
Ndvuna, kukhona lijaha lelashona kulemikhumbi yalabantfu betive. Kubalulekile, Ndvuna, kutsi hulumende wetfu ayibukisise lendzaba futsi alubuyekete ludzaba lwekutsi sibe nayo yetfu imikhumbi, njengelive. (Translation of Siswati paragraph follows.)
[Minister, there is a gentleman who died on one of these foreign ships. Minister, it is important that our government pays more attention to this matter and review the issue of we as a country having our own ships.]
Chairperson, the unacceptable traffic conditions on South African roads, especially the accident and casualty rates, must not continue. There should be a univocal condemnation of irresponsible road users' behaviour and attitudes. All South Africans should join hands and ensure that road safety is everyone's responsibility. The improvement of road user knowledge, skills and attitudes, as a road traffic management function must be targeted as a priority.
The ANC supports the Budget Vote. Thank you.