Public+transport+is+unsafe+and+unreliable,+Sibusiso+Gumede,+The+Star

The Star, Johannesburg, November 06, 2006 //Edition 1//
=Public transport is unsafe and unreliable=

//Twelve years after democracy, transport systems are still ignoring the most important clientele//


 * Sibusiso Gumede**

The government is appealing to us to make more use of public transport. But 12 years after the 1994 democratic breakthrough, the public transport system is still not serving the poor and the working class of our country.

Transport is called the "tie that binds"; it provides mobility for people and goods; it creates links within and between communities, it links workers to jobs and connects producers to their markets, thereby making trading possible both nationally and internationally.

One can argue that the existence of transport facilities is meant to be an enabling tool to people's social and economic situations, but on the other side of the same argument, the non-existence of transport facilities is disempowering and can cut individuals and communities off from their political, cultural and economic life.

Public transport is, therefore, critical both for the workers and the economy. A review of the past 12 years of democracy suggests that, for most workers, public transport continues to be largely unaffordable, often unsafe and generally unreliable.

The 1997 ANC's National Congress in Mafikeng strongly emphasised the importance of transport for development. Its resolution on social transformation noted that "Transport infrastructure plays a central role in stimulating investment, economic activity and providing jobs …"

The resolution on social transformation concluded that "the ANC and the government must set and meet clear targets for infrastructure, including transport". It specifically demanded sectoral programmes for public transport and rehabilitation of roads. Although this resolution was taken about nine years ago, thousands of kilometres of our roads remain untarred, unmonitored and not maintained.

In its recent research, Moving South Africa (MSA) found many gaps, which threaten the sustainability of transport. These include the R3, 3-billion annual roads under-funding, the capital reinvestment below required level for almost all modes. This means that the Department of Transport will not meet its targets.

On top of the gaps that were found in MSA research, there is also a commercialisation of Transnet, with proposals to break it up into relatively smaller groups focussing on particular modes, combined with partial or full privatisation of some elements.

This increased private provision of transport, with gradual outsourcing of most municipalities' bus lines, competitive tendering for bus subsidies and growing reliance on increasingly regulated taxis industry is problematic in its nature.

The taxi recapitalisation process is underway, which is allocated R7, 7-billion or R50 000 for each taxi that is being scrapped. Seventy percent of the current budget of the Department of Transport goes to maintenance of roads and only 30% of it goes to building new roads.

As Cosatu, we are of the belief that this must change because we need more new roads, especially in rural areas and townships. We call for government to reform the public transport subsidy to ensure equal distribution between types of public transport and between provinces.

The use of the public transport in South Africa has increased over the years. Because the apartheid system forced most workers to live far from where they work, public transport has an enormous impact both on workers lives and the economy.

Unsafe public transport costs thousands of lives and millions of rands every year.

Moreover, the distance and the high cost of commuting push up the cost of employment, making it harder for job seekers to find jobs.

Unreliable transport also means workers may miss work for no fault of their own. Cosatu is prepared to engage with Alliance partners, government, and other stakeholders on reliable, safe and regular transport services that take into account changing commuters' preference.

We call on the government and the private sector to commit to provision of public transport to school-going children in areas far from schools particularly in the rural areas.


 * Sibusiso Gumede is a social policy co-ordinator at Cosatu


 * From: http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3519393**

660 words