SACP+on+2006+Red+October+transport+campaign+consultative

SACP, Wed 2006/09/27 11:17 AM
=STATEMENT OF THE CONSULTATIVE CONFERENCE ON THE SACP’S 2006 RED OCTOBER CAMPAIGN ON EFFICIENT, AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND ROAD SAFETY FOR ALL=

The SACP will this year focus its annual Red October Campaign on Accessible, Affordable, Efficient Public Transport and Road Safety for All!!

Yesterday, on the 26 September 2006, the SACP held a National Consultative Conference to engage various stakeholders and solicit their inputs towards the SACP-led campaign.

Various stakeholders including the Metro rail, National Commuter Hotline, South African National Taxi Association, The Department of Education, South African Bus Operators Association, Top Six, ATA and various taxi associations, SAMWU, ANCYL and YCL, attended the consultative conference.

The meeting discussed various challenges that relates to the accessibility, the efficiency and affordability of our public transport system. The challenges ranges from workers being dismissed at work and school children being turned away from school mainly because of an inefficient public transport system, overcrowding and unsafe conditions on our trains, massive accidents on our roads costing us close to R 40 billion rand a year, lack of access to transport infrastructure and facilities, and the problem of too many unroadworthy vehicles.

Another complicating factor has been a decline on investment in our rail system. Taking Gauteng Province alone as an example, there has been a decline over the past ten years on the number of trains operated throughout the province, but with an increase in the number of commuters. Related to the issue of investment is the lack of maintenance of roads with much limitations and constraints at the municipal level.

The consultative meeting further discussed the challenges facing the rural areas where there is an even more serious lack of transport.

Having discussed all of the above the meeting endorsed the SACP led campaign and agreed to establish a committee that will work towards a follow up discussion with the stakeholders and the community broadly.

Further to this, the consultative conference endorsed the following demands:

A co-ordinated and effective spending on public transport and public transport infrastructure – this includes provision of amenities at train, taxi and bus stations, proper bus stations in our townships, erection of overhead bridges in communities settled along the highways and rail lines. Related to this is the issue of prioritising expenditure away from wasteful projects like GAUTRAIN to improve the conditions of Metro Rail and Shosholoza Mail.

Integrated public transport plans developed at the municipal levels which are stakeholder driven. Metros and other municipalities must establish (as required by law) transport authorities, that are funded and empowered and empowered to drive the planning, integration, implementation and regulation of public transport systems.

The SAPS to devote priority attention to safety and security on public transport and at stations and transport interchanges. The co-operation within the communities in Cape Town is a clear example of how when united with our communities we are able to effectively deliver.

An effective strategy to root out corruption and inefficiency at the permit offices, vehicle inspection centres and in traffic policing.

An active role and involvement of the community in matters related to regulation.

Conference called for an efficient and affordable learner transport with an active role of government. The action committee will participate with keen interest in the ongoing policy development process that has been undertaken by the Department of Education. In this regard we will continue to mobilise SADTU, School Governing bodies, LRC’s and COSAS.

The drafting and development of proper enforcement mechanisms for “A Commuters Charter” which will amongst other things look into the issue of the rights of the disabled commuters, rights of transport workers, the rights of pedestrians and the rights of commuters.

A need to conduct a major review of the taxi recapitalisation programme. The review should be underpinned by an extensive consultation with the stakeholders in the taxi industry, a development of an effective sustainable strategy to accompany the recapitalisation process including the review of the current subsidies allocated to taxi owners for the recapitalisation programme. The meeting supports the formalisation and regulation of the taxi industry that should be supported by an effective broad empowerment strategy of all stakeholders in the sector.

The meeting further called and committed the taxi drives to treat commuters with total respect and dignity, and extended the call to commuters to treat taxi drivers likewise. The conference supported the current driver training initiatives but agreed that the development of such programmes cannot be conducted outside the involvement of the drivers and operators themselves. The campaign will therefore be extended to engage the relevant skills authorities to address this problem.

We call on the Ministry of Transport to convene as a matter of urgency a National Summit on Public Transport to address holistically the challenges of our transport system.

Furthermore conference discussed how an efficient public transport system would contribute towards the elimination of high levels of pollution that mainly contribute to the global warming problems that we are experiencing.

It was further agreed that one of the major contributing factors to the rising cost of transport is the high rising cost of fuel as a result of the unprecedented high cost of crude oil. Analysts speculate that that by the end of the year a barrel of crude oil will cost close to 100 US dollars. It is against this background that SACP re-affirms its call for the re-nationalisation of SASOL and intensification of the exploration of alternative renewable energy sources.

All stakeholders present agreed to cooperate with each other and strengthen a people centred and stakeholder driven campaign to build a safe, affordable and efficient public transport system for our country.

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