Chairperson, hon Minister, hon members of the NCOP, South Africa's economy relies on the fast, safe movement of goods and people.
The absence of an integrated transport policy and the lack of co-ordination amongst the different transport authorities have brought about a crisis in the South African transport sector. These factors, coupled with insufficient state funding for the maintenance of infrastructure, have resulted in a deterioration of the transport infrastructure, to the extent that it now jeopardises both the safety of the public and South Africa's economic growth prospects.
The backlogs in maintenance are as follows: there is R120 billion in the road system; R90 billion in railways; and R22 billion in the minibus-taxi fleets. As far as road safety is concerned, there are more than 10 000 fatal accidents per year, which cost the country more than R40 billion every year. More than 12 000 South Africans are killed each year on our roads. There is also a shortage of 10 000 traffic officers.
With regard to affordability of public transport, about 2,8 million urban dwellers, which is 13% of the urban population, cannot afford public transport. Therefore, they are forced to walk or cycle to where they need to be.
In addition, the absence of law and order in the South African transport system is contributing significantly to the reshaping of cities and the decline of central business districts.
The role of the state in the development and management of the transport system must as far as possible be limited to policy formulation, strategic planning, regulation - including of the environment - and management of allocation of subsidies for uneconomical social services, such as mass transportation on buses, trains and taxis.
The extent to which people are able to use the opportunities available to them depends on how easily they are able to move around their cities and the country. When they cannot move around freely and easily, their life chances are reduced and South Africa as a whole suffers from these lost opportunities.
South Africa has a well-developed road network, but it is deteriorating, particularly in the rural areas. Our rail network is also extensive, but poor management of this sector means there are fewer and fewer trains. Taxis are cheap, but they are not safe and are uncontrolled. Thus individuals' life chances and national goals are both constrained. The department must work to address these constraints and create a seamless, well-managed and affordable transport network.
South Africa's road network infrastructure is deteriorating because of inadequate funding and rising costs of construction and maintenance. The state has increasingly relied on private concessions in dealing with this backlog, thus pricing road usage beyond what many can afford.
The department must establish a dedicated road maintenance fund, sourced primarily from the fuel levy, which will enable South Africa to eliminate the R12 billion maintenance backlog over four years. It must also ensure that all toll road concessions are considered, and that a percentage of their profits must go towards community development or a pool for subsidising rural transport. Overloading by heavy-duty vehicles is destroying our roads. There must be mobile weighbridges and measures to catch and severely punish offenders.
South Africa's unacceptably high accident rate costs the economy dearly. A culture of safe driving must be entrenched through education, zero tolerance of dangerous driving, and higher driver testing and enforcement standards.
The department must in the first place recruit, train and accredit at least 2 000 traffic officers at all levels of government, to international norms and standards; introduce a massive safety drive levelled at motorists and scholars; and reintroduce compulsory basic balance of third party insurance.
Our cities and towns are increasingly congested, as a direct result of the lack of efficient and safe public transport. Taxis, which transport 60% of commuters in the country, are seen to be unsafe, and passengers often become the victims of rivalry and internal feuding. Buses, on the other hand, exist only in the larger cities and are often unreliable and in short supply. Railway services experience delays, crime, and safety problems.
The department must investigate the introduction and expansion of the bus rapid transit system, monorail, commuter light rail, and speed trains wherever feasible and sustainable.
I would have liked to debate airports and ports as well, but unfortunately time will not allow me to in this sitting.
In conclusion, South Africans - individuals and businesses - have had to suffer irritations, inconvenience and the costs of a wholly inadequate transport system for far too long. They deserve better.
The DA wants to see investments and processes put in place to deliver a transport system that is safe ... [Time expired.]