Directorate: Transportation Policy And Planning

The directorate was formally established in November 2002 with the appointment of the Senior Manager, Sibusiso Gumbi. The first task was the consolidation of transportation policy and planning functions of the Chief Directorate into the Directorate. Work that was being undertaken in public transport policy and planning was brought under the leadership of the Senior Manager. An interim team was also established to manage the projects in the, as yet un-staffed, directorate. By the end of the financial year the two assistant management positions in the Directorate had been advertised. Despite this lack of formally appointed officials the interim team in the Directorate did admirably on delivering on several of the objectives of the new Directorate.

• Public Transport Planning
  The Directorate has established communication channels with District Municipalities Integrated Development Planning sections. Such communication has allowed for negotiations on the devolution of the public transport planning function to the municipal sphere as envisaged in the National Land Transport Transition Act (2000) (NLTTA). Funding of R1.04 million was transferred to municipalities to assist them in starting the preparation of their Current Public Transport Records as required by the NLTTA. A further R2.7 million will be made available to District Municipalities in the 2003/2004 financial year. This will enable them to complete their Current Public Transport Record.
  
  A road show emphasizing the importance of public transport planning was taken to all District Municipalities. It was presented at several municipal Integrated Development Planning forum meetings. This presentation highlighted the important role played by municipalities in ensuring the development of an effective and efficient public transport system. They do this through their integrated development planning and implementation.
  
  For public transport to serve the needs of the people it is imperative that transportation planning be done. Currently public transport services are provided without any knowledge of the public’s transport needs. The regulation of these services is based largely on the needs of the public transport operators. This results in public transport that does not always comply with the needs of the people. The Directorate is examining the approach to public transport planning as set out in the NLTTA. This involves establishing provincial standards, technical guides and planning aids. The aim is to ensure that planning addresses the above and will result in an improvement in public transport for the people of the province.
  
  
• Consultative Structures
  Consultative structures on the technical level on policy and planning issues have been established. Through these structures more structured consultative structures will be established at the technical level. Political consultative structures are yet to be established and strategies for such structures are being finalized.
  
  
• Provincial Land Transport Framework
  The NLTTA requires that provinces prepare a Provincial Land Transport Framework (PLTF). This should sets out the policies and strategies of the Province with regards to transportation. The framework covers not only the work of the TEDL Chief Directorate but also the work of the Implementation, Public Safety & Communication and Finance Chief Directorates. The TEDL prepared a draft Public Transport Framework in 2001/2002 as their input to the PLTF. Due to the fact that the client chief directorate, namely Strategic Planning, was as yet unstaffed, the TEDL Chief Directorate was requested to co-ordinate the preparation of the whole framework for the Department. By the end of the financial year, the PLTF was completed and submitted to the Head of Department for approval and submission to the National Department of Transport.
  
  
• Provincial Land Transport Bill
  In 2001 the Minister established a commission of enquiry into taxi violence. One of the recommendations of the commission was the need for the KZNDOT to draft a Provincial Land Transport Bill to complement the National Land Transport Transition Act (2000). Such a provincial bill would address the specific issues with regards to land transport that are unique to the province. In 2002, the commission was requested to draft the portion of the Provincial Land Transport Bill that would address the pressing issues of violence in the public transport arena. In early 2003, the Directorate organized a workshop which reviewed this draft Bill and the Directorate is in the process of finalizing this Bill.
  
  
• Skills Development
  Skills and education levels in the public transport industry are severely lacking. In order to bring about empowerment in the industry, the Directorate is developing a training program for public transport owners, operators and drivers. A pilot project was instituted in the Nqutu Municipality to test the curriculum, its acceptance and effect on the industry. Three hundred members, 150 drivers and 150 owners of the local minibus taxi association were trained in relevant aspects of:
  
  - Business management theory and practice
  - Road safety
  - Customer care
  - Governance and leadership
  - Basic transport economics
  - Labour relations act
  - Rank administration
  - Conflict management
  - Traffic and land transportation
  
  
• Non-Motorised Transport
  Prior to the 2002/2003 financial year, the Public Transport Directorate established two pilot projects to test the viability of cycling as a solution to rural mobility problems. The pilot projects established a sustainable bicycle sales and servicing micro-business in the rural community. Ownership and management of the micro-business rests in the local community. The study proved the effectiveness and popularity of cycling as a mobility solution in rural areas. Funding could not, however, be secured for the 2002/2003 financial year. But the directorate continued in its efforts to promote rural mobility through cycling.
  
  It did this by facilitating partnerships in the private and NGO sector to deliver on government’s objectives. In addition to this, the Directorate worked closely with the National Department of Transport in developing a sustainable strategy for the promotion of cycling. Through the efforts of the Directorate, the two pilot sites remained operational despite receiving no funding. This proved the sustainability of the strategy adopted by the KZNDOT. Similar sites established in other provinces, but using a strategy where ownership and management of the sites rested with government, collapsed as soon as funding dried up. The pilot site in the Nqabeni area, in the Ugu Municipality, organized a cycle race on 16 June 2002 for the local cyclists. The Directorate arranged that road safety t-shirts and caps were provided as prizes and road safety literature was distributed to all participants and spectators.