BREAKFAST BRIEFING: SAVING LIVES

ACCELERATING THE SPEED TO SECURE LIVES

By Minister S'bu Ndebele

19 January 2004

Introduction

Ladies and Gentlemen, distinguished guests, Mayor Obed Mlaba, Mr Malaza, Advocate Shamilla Batohi, Dr Jeya Wilson, Magistrate Poswa, officials from the Department of Transport, members of the media, good morning to you.

For those of you who have come here today, I want to thank you for your presence. I am hopeful that the message I bring to the people of KwaZulu-Natal rings home every day, every second and everywhere.

All I plead for time and time again is that each of you makes your journey safely. My words I hope are heard in every quarter of South African society.

Public and Safety

Many would say we should be pleased with the low number of fatalities, recorded from December to December, as compared to previous years. Personally, I would not like to see people die, I cannot celebrate that we had a good record showing a drop in fatalities. It's a bad thing to lose even one life on the road.

The high crash rate in South Africa is not a recent phenomenon. According to statistics, South Africa's crash rates peaked in the decade between 1960 and 1970. I am not saying that the status quo must continue. We in the Department of Transport have adopted and adapted the Victoria Model (Australia) which is now internationally recognized as Road Safety Best Practise. This has informed the development of our Zero Tolerance and Asiphephe campaigns.

I would say that it's no accident that we have good statistics. It is because of the public and the scrutiny and the attention placed on the Department of Transport and myself that we have noticed our efforts in terms of Arrive Alive, enforcement such as Operation Juggernaut has paid off.

The public scrutiny is important and continues to keep traffic officials and the department as a whole on their toes. The letters to the editor, the letters to us is an important combatant for our fledging democracy. I encourage the debate, the views you bring to us, the criticism. But when December is over, I want to encourage that scrutiny to continue.

I would like to see that moral panic that has been created to continue - but beyond December. The media paranoia must not stop. Why is it that road safety is on top of their agenda during the peak festive period and not during the rest of the year? We can't be judged by the festive season. The hysteria and paranoia about the numbers of people who are killed is not enough.

Yes, we did better than the previous years, but one death is too many. It not only destroys the soul when you see one dead body after the other, it creates anguish among the many traffic officers who have to do the body counts, have to retrieve the bodies from the wreckages.

It is only when the public owns the carnage on our roads as their responsibility that we will ultimately be able to significantly improve road safety. We don't want the public to criticize why we are imposing stringent speed limits. Speed kills. Why would people want to drive faster? Why would people want to take their lives with their own hands?

We have had mass rallies such as those held under the banner of Siyabakhumbula as part of a strategy designed to heighten public awareness. We have had interfaith rallies. Today among others, we have leaders of religious communities. Thank you Bishop Phillips, Moulana Soofie, Ashwin Trikamjee, to name a few among us in this gathering.If we can save lives through the power of our spiritual being then let it be.

We are committed to the view that it is only when South African citizens internalise road safety norms and values and develop a culture of tolerance that we will achieve peace on our roads.

Road to Safety

My colleagues, Dr Mbanjwa, John Schnell and all those who have worked tirelessly during this period have told you about how we faired in the past month. Now the hard work begins. The assessment of what has happened, what has developed, which trends repeated itself?

We need to start asking why so many pedestrians were killed during this season. What was behind the causes of the crashes? We want to explore the human dilemma behind these deaths.

It may require social studies to be performed about why people walk across the roads and freeways, what public awareness is done, what are the infrastructures available to avoid the crashes, concerns about general town planning principles and the non-compliance of traffic rules and regulations by pedestrians.

The road to safety strategy mandate provides that we work with other stakeholders to find solutions to the pedestrian problem, which include looking at engineering solutions in identified hazardous solutions.

The answers need to be found. We are busy sitting and looking at considering a comprehensive road safety audit of potential risk areas where pedestrians were killed before once again accident statistics highlight the problem.

Our Successes

To yield the results we have today required not only dedication but enforcement planning which was able to balance the need to attract tourism and growth to this province on the one hand and saving lives on the other.

As I stand before you here today, people are making their way to KwaZulu-Natal. Our schools open tomorrow and we will not relent to save the lives on our roads. Our Road Traffic Inspectorate appeals for ongoing co-operation and self-discipline on the part of all motorists in the remaining few days of the Summer Holiday Season.

The National Department of Transport's investment in Operation Juggernaut continuously proves to be extremely successful. You, the public, tourists and visitors have appreciated the work we have put in, Speed Calming measures like cameras have helped reduce accidents, enforcement through roadblocks. In the last week alone, a further 150 trucks have been removed from operation on our roads for various defects, mainly brakes.

Out of the 120 trucks that were tested for brakes, 84 trucks failed to comply with the minimum braking requirement. This clearly indicates that unscrupulous operators and owners did not invest in the repair of their vehicles, over the latter part of the holidays whilst industries were closed. The Department views this in a serious light and will continue daily to remove these death traps from our roads.

After numerous warnings and correspondence to affected owners and operators and appeals via the media, a planned operation, in conjunction with the SAPS, Ladysmith RTI and Tolcon, was conducted over the past week at the Tugela Plaza, which targeted Heavy Motor vehicle drivers that parked illegally at the Plaza, causing an obstruction to other vehicles entering and leaving the Plaza.

Forty drivers were arrested for parking on the freeway to sleep. They were detained at the SAPS Ladysmith and their vehicles were impounded at RTI Ladysmith. Of these 40 drivers, 35 drivers were sentenced to a fine of a R1000, and a further 5 drivers are scheduled to appear in court during the coming week.

I can quote figures such as these to illustrate the successes of enforcement over the festive period. Does it always have to be that South African society has to be policed for their own good? Unfortunately, defiant and reckless drivers, passengers and pedestrians don't take their lives seriously. They are not taking responsibility for their actions.

From enforcement to the daylight running campaign, these have contributed to easing the road statistics. But we are not satisfied. Its our time for reflection and revisiting what we have learnt and improving on our strategy.

Beyond the festive period

I thought up some ideas this morning. They are not concrete but real and achievable. Perhaps we should have voluntary and free testing of vehicles. We can nip the problem in the bud. Perhaps we can build incentives for people to take control of their lives. I called just last week for buses to undergo roadworthy tests every six months, instead of once a year.

Our road safety strategy does not stop at producing better drivers, making sure roadworthy vehicles are on the road and suspending those which are mobile time bombs, ensuring we create a sustainable and safe road network, we also have to deal with issues concerning public transport. 

In this new democracy we have managed to create a harmonious and sustainable relationship with the taxi industry and with the bus industry who has for long been excluded as the recognisable essential public transport system.

In an unprecedented move last year to facilitate the national government's Taxi Recaplitalisation Programme, an agreement was signed between government and the stakeholders involved to formally recognise and create the infrastructure needed to facilitate the taxi industry which provides the vital role for our commuters.

We need to integrate the various transport systems to now create a seamless transportation system that provides the public with efficient, safe, comfortable and affordable transportation for both urban and rural areas. 

Just this week, the Department of Transport, for instance, in order to facilitate taxi permits, have rehauled the Local Road Transport Board. Besieged by administrative hiccups and issues around delivery, the offices have now been moved to Pietermaritzburg. Simple administrative issues, among others renewals of permits for instance would now be able to be handled by the Motor Licensing Bureau.

We have taken great strides to formalise the taxi industry, and this impetus helps us a long way towards creating safety networks on the road and drivers and owners taking responsibility for their passengers.

I would like to use this opportunity to emphasise the significance of registering since we have walked a long way with the structures of the taxi industry in ensuring their success.

This year the country celebrates 10 years of Prosperity. In transport we continue to strive towards achieving the goals in addressing the questions of poverty, empowerment and making sure that women play a major role in achieving the equity objectives.

From Zibambele to Vukazakhe we have made a difference to people's lives. The public transport system is under capitalised. That is no secret. We will support initiatives to diversify the mini bus taxi industry to diversify its economic base, providing an exciting opportunity for black empowerment but also create the need for us to commission research, training.

We have come a long way since 1994 and have a long way to go. We are ready for the challenges and we need all of you to come on board the journey we are taking.

Thank you.

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