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Honourable Speaker
Honourable Premier
Members of the Provincial Legislature
Ladies and Gentleman
Honourable Speaker

We are the moving link tasked with the promotion of integrated safe, reliable and affordable public transport. Our land use planning strategy must be able to make impact in redressing the imbalances of the past.

Public transport - more specifically public passenger transport is crucial for our economic well-being and growth. It is also crucial in order to address social needs. Transport performs both an economic and social function. It is an important input sector to promote growth of the economy.

Public passenger transport must ensure that the millions of workers who rely on public transport for their conveyance to and from work, do arrive to start work on time and in good shape. It must ensure that they return home at the end of a day's work to enjoy the maximum possible time with their families and friends, to meet their social obligations. Production and the quality of work are dependent on the quality, efficiency, reliability and affordability of public transport. There is the important social dimension.

Public transport must enable the millions who rely on that mode to reach their families, their friends, their places of workshop, places of sport and recreation. It must connect human beings with each other. It must help through connecting people to build communities and held to forge the nation.

The growth of our country depends on the extent to which socio-economic development takes place and transport infrastructure is an imperative for growth.

Without adequate and efficient infrastructure, there can be no trade, no economic development and no improvement to the quality of life of our citizens.

In the Eastern Cape transport means access to employment, to education, to health, to social services and to information.

In other words transport is a great facilitator.

Tourists and visitors will find Eastern Cape so much more attractive if our public transport system is safe, efficient, affordable and reliable. In the light of soaring costs, I have no doubt that public transport has become more important that ever. We must work hard to meet public transport high on the list of basic needs and I ask you, who are closer to local communities, to say so loud and clear.

It is within the context of high standards and demand for Transport that we are facing enormous challenges in this sector. South Africa forms part of the regional transport initiative under the auspices of SADC thereby unquestionably becomes a key component of the world movement on sustainable development. The forthcoming Summit on Sustainable Development after 1992 Rio de Janeiro WSSD is a historic event in South Africa. There can never be viable economy without transport neither transport without economy. It must be clear that without initiatives such as those of NEPAD our transport system cannot improve. Transport is important because it transports world summits themselves.

Honourable Speaker, on 18 April I was standing on this podium presenting to this House the kind of programmes the Department of Transport intends to unroll in this financial year. Those intentions no matter how noble cannot happen without the authority of this House. I am starting this truth for purposes of showing appreciation for the kind of support we have received over the years from this House. The Department of Transport always finds inputs from Members of this House valuable.

Our vision mission and values maintain that we respond adequately to the observed needs of the great majority of our people at district and community levels, and ensure that that they are fully aware of the goals of the Strategic Plan.

To create favourable conditions for increased involvement of the private sector on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis towards improved and more efficient service delivery.

The department has very specific strategic goals, which seek to render effective financial, human resource management support services. In order to enhance service delivery according to our Strategic Plan, the Department will as matter of urgency implement approved organisational structure and fill all the critical posts for which funds are available in this 2002/2003 Financial Year.

The department seeks to manage, facilitate, regulate and control air traffic control and navigational services. It will facilitate and promote traffic safety and traffic control. It shall always provide reliable, safe, affordable and efficient public passenger multi modal transport systems. While embarking on the above is to formulate, promote, and implement integrated transport planning and policies as well as provide efficient, safe and sustainable government transport services to user departments.

The department strives to ensure that Civil Aviation is able to upgrade and maintain Bisho, Umtata Airports for tourism and for efficient ferrying of passengers on a Private Public Partnership.

Our main focus is to serve the community and with their participation take the processes forward. The mandate of our department is drawn from the fact that of encouraging community participation as well as other broad structures of the society.

Mr. Speaker we have taken note of the recommendations of the standing committee and comments from other members of this House. We are already in some cases implementing them. This is the case, for instance, with the recommendation on capacity building for the taxi industry. The Department is already in the process of engaging service providers to develop a business plan for the industry to indicate the kind of support they want from government.

Let me conclude my note with the view to receive from you your unending assistance and cooperation.

It is on this note that I, on behalf of the Department do hereby wish to thank Members of the Standing Committee of Transport under the able leadership of Comrade Thobile Mhlahlo for the invaluable guidance and sound advice they give to the Department.

I thank you

Issued by Provincial Safety Liaison and Transport, Eastern Cape

13 June 2002