 
SUMMARY OF KEYNOTE ADDRESS ON THE OCCASION OF THE LAUNCH OF THE NEW PUBLIC TRANSPORT ENFORCEMENT UNITby Minister S'bu Ndebele
Members of Executive Committee for Transport Before addressing the specific issue of the newly established Public Transport Enforcement Unit, which falls under the auspices of our Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI), I would like to briefly outline government's commitment to securing a transformed public transport sector in South Africa which is economically sustainable and which provides the public with safe, affordable, reliable and comfortable transport. This, I believe, will provide the context, which will highlight the critically important role of our Public Transport Enforcement Unit. We need to be fully appreciative of the fact that public transport is an issue that touches the daily lives of the vast majority of South Africans, particularly our Black majority. For most Black people in South Africa public transport is their vital link to work, services, recreation and opportunities. Users of public transport are not usually in a position to determine the roadworthiness or reliability of the different forms of conveyance in which they travel. Although minibus taxis and busses have a relatively small share in total crashes (8,62% and 1,15% respectively), the fact that they carry large numbers of passengers does result in a disproportionate loss of life and serious injury. Perhaps we need to remind ourselves that, according to the CSIR, the rand value of every road related fatality or serious injury is R386 498 and R101 448 respectively (based on 2000 rand value). The total cost of crashes to the South African economy is some R14 billion per annum. These costs do not take into consideration the social costs of crashes in terms of lost human potential, the pain and suffering of crash victims and the grief of bereaved families. No one should ever question that government has a responsibility to ensure greater public safety and security on our roads. The establishment of the Public Transport Enforcement Unit is part and parcel of our commitment in KwaZulu-Natal to adopt a Zero Tolerance approach to secure a safe road environment. In KwaZulu-Natal, by far the largest market share of public transport has been captured by the minibus taxi industry. We calculate that the minibus taxi industry accounts for as much as 65% of the daily transport needs of the KwaZulu-Natal public. It is for this reason that my address today focuses more on the minibus taxi industry than other modes of public transport. However, I can assure you that all modes of public transport will be properly regulated and that these regulations will be enforced in the best interests of public safety. It is worth noting that those public transport services that are currently subsidised by government, namely commuter rail and busses, are monitored on an ongoing basis and that a programme is in place to shift the system of monitoring from consultants to an end user community based monitoring programme. The minibus taxi industry in KwaZulu-Natal is then the most critical pillar of our public transport sector. Not only is it the most available mode of transport, it is also the most affordable to the public û this despite the fact that it does not yet receive any share of the public transport subsidies paid by government. We also need to appreciate the fact that we are dealing with an industry that is considered vital to the economic growth of the country. The minibus taxi industry in South Africa is a giant industry. It comprises some 20 000 owners, 120 000 vehicles and 200 000 employees. It carries between 6 million and 11 million passengers daily and has a turnover in excess of R12 billion in fares per annum. KwaZulu-Natal, with 17% of the national taxi fleet, ranks second only to Gauteng Province which has 35% of the national taxi fleet. The fact that the minibus taxi industry is 99% owned and managed by Black South Africans makes it a critical pillar of any Black Economic Empowerment Strategy, especially a strategy directed towards the economic empowerment of ordinary citizens. As you are aware, government in South Africa is committed to a programme that will ensure that Black South Africans have a significant share in our economy. The minibus taxi industry in South Africa is then not only the most critical pillar of our public transport sector, it is also an exciting development in Black Economic Empowerment. Here we need to remind ourselves that public transport in South Africa is an expanding industry. There are exciting new and expanding market opportunities that are a product of our standing as a nation in world democracy and the global economy. Witness the many international conferences and events that take place on a monthly basis in South Africa (African Renaissance, African Union, United Nations, World Summit on Sustainable Development, Cricket World Cup 2003, etc, etc). Witness also how well Durban and KwaZulu-Natal are performing as a tourist destination. Here I need not remind you that there can be very few international tourist destinations where visitors can enjoy such a wide variety of attractions in one destination. These range from beautiful beaches to game viewing, to golf, to cultural and eco tourism, to shopping, to dining at some of the finest restaurants. For the most part tourists to South Africa come from countries, which have well-developed public transport systems. A growing tourist industry can readily translate into an expanding and a profitable public transport sector. A safe, affordable, reliable public transport sector in South Africa is not yet in place to cater for either our domestic demands or new market opportunities. The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport is acutely aware of its responsibility to regulate and transform the public transport system that developed during apartheid, into one that can take its rightful place in a democratic South Africa. This is an exciting challenge and we have made significant progress especially with regard to the establishment of a well-organised minibus taxi sector. I doubt if any of you need reminding that the minibus taxi industry in South Africa grew spontaneously to meet the mobility needs of Black people. Its rapid growth occurred in an unregulated environment precisely because the safety and comfort of Black passengers was not of significant concern to the apartheid government. An unregulated industry is an industry that is open to abuse, corruption and coercion. Under these conditions the minibus taxi industry was an industry:
Some of the highlights in regulating the minibus taxi industry are:
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I think that we can all agree that significant progress has been made in regulating and modernising the minibus taxi industry in KwaZulu-Natal. As the transport authority in this province we are working hand in hand with KWANATACO and other public bodies including the SAPS, the SANDF, the Public Prosecutor, the Durban Metro Police. I want to stress that, for the most part, those involved in the minibus taxi industry have been only too happy to comply with the new regulations that will secure safer public transport. The majority of minibus taxi owners and operators do appreciate that government is assisting their industry in its growth and development. Together we must now deal with those elements in the industry that persistently ignore the will of the majority and the rule of law in our country. We have therefore developed, through the Public Transport Enforcement Unit, the capacity to deal with those operators who do not comply with the law. Officers recruited into the Public Transport Enforcement Unit have undergone a thorough screening process. They have also undergone an extensive training programme that will equip them to deal with the public transport industry in terms of the specific regulations of various Acts. Their first ôstingö operation bears testimony to their effectiveness. The operation lasted three days and, in all, 20 busses and 115 minibus taxis were impounded. Although the public are obviously inconvenienced by the work of the Public Transport Enforcement Unit, they need to bear in mind that the more unroadworthy public transport vehicles and unlicensed operators that are removed from our roads the safer the public will be. We will not shirk our public mandate as the road authority in KwaZulu-Natal. We will:
Government has targeted that by 2006/2007 a sustainable public transport sector is completely rolled out. We have come a long way in realising this target but there is still much to be done. Before closing I want to pay a special tribute to the RTI and its Public Transport Enforcement Unit as well as the leadership of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport. Regulating those that do not want to conform is dangerous work. These are brave people and true public servants. They deserve your support. Thank you.
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