Chairperson, hon Chief Whip and hon Minister of Transport - all protocol observed - our theme today is: "Building a reliable and safe public transport network". This theme should be adopted as our Bible in the Department of Transport, and should be religiously adhered to, because it is our guide. The theme explains the gist of what we should be doing, which needs the co-operation of all road users.
Reliability means that our transport should be consistent in executing its job, meaning consistently and without failure ferrying passengers on time from point A to point B. Our trains and buses should be timekeepers for the ordinary man on the street. Our passengers should have confidence in the services, knowing quite well that they will arrive on time wherever they are being ferried.
Safety means passengers board our buses and trains knowing that their lives are safe. Drivers at all levels should obey the rules of the road and take the interests of their passengers to heart. They must be sensitive, respectful and courteous in their operations. Passengers can take a nap in our modes of transport knowing that they will arrive at work or at home safe. This is the kind of transport system we envisage in our country, but also, the success of our transport system depends on the good infrastructure that we should have.
This debate comes at a time when research is showing that the carnage on our roads is increasing. The most recent carnage occurred at Kokstad over the weekend. Our roads have become death traps. The lives of our people have become cheap. Road hogs have lost respect for the sanctity of life. It is now the norm for a human being to become a statistic of road accidents. Those passengers were family members en route to their workplace, but their lives were cut short by irresponsible road users. We cannot go on like this. We need to do something drastic. We need to give those transgressors little place to hide. One life lost is one life too many.
A recent survey shows that most of the road accidents were caused by drivers with alcohol in their bloodstream. Six out of ten drivers who die in accidents have a high level of alcohol in their blood. An investigation into substance abuse has indicated that 50% of truck drivers and 30% of taxi drivers had been drinking or smoking marijuana when the accidents occurred. Our people are dying, but we are paralysed and simply ball watching.
During this Transport Month we must encourage all drivers to obey the rules and laws of the road in order to reduce road accidents. We need to encourage taxi drivers and their associations to act responsibly to save the lives of their clients. They need to inculcate confidence in their industry. We cannot create lawlessness in this country by condoning the actions of irresponsible drivers. We need to be decisive, strict and on the offensive with regard to the road hogs and transgressors.
We also have to look at ourselves. Some of our traffic officers are corrupt and demand bribes for issuing driving licences and not issuing fines for traffic offences. It has become difficult for an ordinary person to make reservations for learner's licence and driving licence tests because those officers demand exorbitant amounts for the jobs they are supposed to be doing for free. We need to encourage whistle-blowers and have the assistance of the Hawks, if we do not want to have a corrupt country.
Hhayi-ke Ngqongqoshe wethu, mawusebenze umthetho, futhi mababoshwe. [Very well, our Minister, let the law take its course, and they must be arrested.]
We are prepared to amend laws to give stiff penalties. Let us make road offences treasonable offences.
We applaud the national and Gauteng governments for having introduced the Gautrain, which has become a reliable rail network system. We urge the government to extend this facility to Soweto, Mamelodi, Sebokeng, Matlosana and KwaThema. That is where the majority of our people are. This facility should also be extended to places like Khayelitsha, KwaMashu, Mangaung and KwaZakhele because these are the places where our people need it most. Let us not forget that those are the people who put us into power.
We also applaud the Rea Vaya bus system which was introduced during the Fifa World Cup. We urge that the challenges which bedevilled this industry should be addressed as a matter of urgency, because it should be a reputable transport system. This facility must also be extended to other provinces. We also cannot allow the MyCiTi bus transport system in Cape Town to be a white elephant, because these buses are ferrying "ghosts" to and from the airport - they run almost empty. Let us redirect that service to where it is needed. I thank you. [Applause]