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Transport department deserves a bigger slice in provincial budget
Now that the Department of Transport in KwaZulu Natal has produced a premier
for the province, it is possible that its budget may be increased because the
new authority has a good understanding of how expensive it is to develop the
roads.
This was said by the Transport Department’s Chief Director of
Implementation, Mr Chris Hlabisa at Empangeni region recently during a regional
annual Indaba to report on the region’s performance.
"It costs almost R2 million to build a road, and our honorable Premier
Ndebele, together with our new Minister Mr Bheki Cele as well as the CEO, Dr
Kwazi Mbanjwa, understand that in order to provide the much-needed black top
roads in the province, there needs to be enough resources available for the
Department to better the lives of the people," he added.
He said that his Department was more than willing to help the province’s
political leadership to materialize its mandate as government - that is, making
a better life for all.
Mr Hlabisa praised the Empangeni region for having finally implemented
Mission Directed Work Teams which were aimed at improving the Department’s
capacity to materialize its vision and mission of improving people quality of
life through giving people a chance to develop their own roads and earn
themselves a decent income i.e. prosperity through mobility.
Mission Directed Work Teams also seek to improve efficiency and provide
convenient service delivery outlets through one-stop-shops that bring all the
services that the Department offers under one roof. The services include road
construction, licensing, traffic police, etc. that are now available in KwaZulu
Natal (Pietermaritzburg, Durban, Empangeni and Ladysmith).
One stop shops are advantageous to the rural community because the people do
not have spend more money and time when they want services consolidating
one-stop shops providing as one of the major service providers and job-creators
in the province.
"Mr Hlabisa called upon communities to take care of graders and report
equipment that was problematic, lying idle or underutilized.
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