#GPSecondAdjustmentBudget: Roads and Transport, Human Settlements loses out on much-needed service delivery funds

Today, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng supported the second adjustment budget for the 2022/2023 financial year in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) as most of the planned funding speaks to matters which we have long raised and seems like they are now getting the necessary attention.

We are not just giving a blanket approval as we still have some serious reservations, as far as the departments of Roads, Transport and Logistics and Human Settlements are concerned.

During the first adjustment budget for the 2022/23 financial year, the Department of Roads, Transport and Logistics had its infrastructure programme decreased by R337,1 million from R2,095 billion to R1,758 billion, ascribed to delays in the procurement of outsourced roads maintenance, poor performance by contractors and projects interdicted and terminated.

We noted that during the tabling of the second adjustment budget earlier in March this year, the same department further lost out on R97, 4 million received originally from the Public Transport Operations Grant.

We will use our oversight role to monitor spending and project management implementation in this department.

On the other hand, the Department of Human Settlements surrendered R200 million for the Informal Settlements Upgrading Partnership Grant (ISUPG) to benefit other provinces that showed good performance in using this grant.

As much as we do support the overall adjustment, we remain concerned that the same department received a rollover amounting to R153 million for the payment of outstanding invoices and commitments to infrastructure relating to the 2021/22 financial year under the same grant.

The DA’s support for the adjustment will come with more hawk-like monitoring on improvements in spending and delivery.

We do support the adjustment budget with an understanding that these departments play a critical role in growing the economy, ensuring goods and services are transported on well-maintained roads and providing decent living standards to informal settlements in the province.

We reiterate that the DA will closely monitor the spending of the new budget for these departments for the 2023/2024 financial year. Maintaining our roads is of utter importance, and therefore there must be regular maintenance of our roads. In addition, our residents deserve to live in dignified housing after years to neglect by the ANC Government.

DA to assess the poorly maintained R101 Road in Tshwane

Tomorrow, Friday, 28 October 2022, the Democratic Alliance (DA), Shadow MEC for Roads and Transport, Fred Nel MPL, the DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Roads and Transport, Evert Du Plessis MPL and DA Ward 96 Tshwane Councillor, Ge Breytenbach, will be conducting an oversight inspection to the R101 road in Tshwane.

The volume of traffic has increased tremendously because it is the main road linking Hammanskraal and the Tshwane CBD. In addition, heavy-duty trucks also use this road to avoid the toll road putting added strain on the road surface.

This road is in terrible condition, and motorists using this road routinely have their tyres damaged. There is also a high number of pedestrians who use this road.

During our oversight inspection, we will also determine if any work has been done to upgrade this road and if new road markings and signs have been erected.

Date: 28 October 2022
Time: 9am
Address: R101, Bonaccord Spar

Delays in establishing Gauteng’s Traffic Command Centre impacts negatively on the safety of residents

Despite spending 20% of the budget by the Department of Community Safety on Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure there has been no movement on establishing the state-of-the-art Traffic Command Centre in Gauteng. This concerns the DA as the centre will play a critical role as an early detection tool for disaster management, traffic management, public unrest and as a tool to monitor hotspots of vandalism of infrastructure.

This information was revealed in the Gauteng Department of Community Safety’s fourth quarterly report for the 2021/2022 financial year.

According to the report, after almost three years, the Department of Public Works has only identified a possible building and is still investigating what infrastructure is needed.

This is deeply concerning given the events of the July unrest and violence last year. This centre is crucial to ensuring the safety of Gauteng residents not only on our roads but also in the communities where they live.

The Western Cape DA government introduced their intergovernmental traffic and safety command centre in 2008. This has helped the Western Cape government to identify and monitor situations that could potentially become volatile.

We urge the department to liaise with their counterparts in Western Cape to learn from them and to establish this Centre as a matter of urgency.

85 funded vacancies while Gauteng’s roads continue to deteriorate, putting residents’ lives in danger

Gauteng residents are forced to use roads that are in very poor condition with potholes everywhere, roads that are in dire need of resurfacing and road verges that are not properly maintained. This is because there are currently 85 funded vacancies in the department that are yet to be filled.

The lack of consistent and regular maintenance on our roads puts the lives of our motorists at risk on a daily basis. Many motorists are flagged as high risk as they constantly claim from their insurance due to accidents caused by the bad conditions of our roads.

This information was provided to me in a written reply to my questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature from the MEC for Roads and Transport, Jacob Mamabolo.

Road reserves and verges that are not regularly cleared provides the perfect hideout for criminals who take advantage of vulnerable motorists which could lead to an increase in hijackings on our roads.

Now that lockdown restrictions have been eased, maintenance work must begin in earnest to ensure that our roads are always in tip-top shape.

It is unacceptable that tenders that needed to be awarded were stalled, because of constraints within the Supply Chain Management department.

Furthermore, no consequence management for this took place which once again highlights that no political will exists within the Premier Makhura-led administration to ensure that service delivery takes place.

If this situation is not remedied as a matter of urgency, then the state of our roads will continue to deteriorate, and we will see a spike in road accidents and fatalities on our province’s roads. I will be engaging directly with the MEC for Transport on this matter as we cannot allow this situation to continue.

Motorists’ lives at risk as road spike incidents increase on R104

Gauteng motorists’ lives are in danger as 13 incidents of road spikes have occurred over a period of 12 months along the R104 road also known as the Bronkhorspruit road in Pretoria as well as the N4 from Pretoria to Bronkhorspruit.

Motorists already do not feel safe driving at night because there is no monitoring of the Gauteng highways during the night.

In a recent incident, two people were impacted by criminals who placed spikes along the R104; a case of attempted murder has been opened and no arrests were made.

When such incidents occur the immediate reaction by a driver is to dead stop the vehicle, while some curve to the side of the road. In most cases motorists experience tyre bursts and lose control of the car, making them prone to rolling their car and dying on the scene.

This information was revealed by the Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko in a written reply to the DA’s questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL).

Of the 13 cases of road spikes reported along the R104 road , only two arrests have been made with no convictions as the case are still pending in court.

MEC Mazibuko states that there have been increased patrols in the area by SAPS members. There are two operations conducted weekly and CPF members patrol the area using drones.

This is not enough to curb this crime as these incidents are increasing drastically and there is no 24-hour monitoring of our roads.

The DA demands answers as to when the Gauteng Traffic Police will be declared an essential service following the Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula’s public announcement in March calling for the fast-tracking of the process to declare traffic police a 24-hour and a 7-day job.

Furthermore, in the Gauteng 2022/2023 tabled budget there was an allocation made to ensure that the Gauteng Traffic Service is declared an essential service. We will be tabling written questions to MEC Mazibuko in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL) to ascertain the progress in this regard.

The safety of motorists is under threat, and we will not rest until there is a 24-hour road monitoring of Gauteng roads

Road accidents hinder socio-economic development while impacting on the well-being of all South Africans

By Fred Nel MPL, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Roads and Transport 

Road accidents have become recognised internationally as a social and economic burden. Despite governmental efforts to curb the soaring number of road crashes, the annual number of road fatalities in South Africa and the cost thereof remains exceptionally high.  

While substantial resources have been invested to promote awareness amongst the public, intensify law enforcement interventions and increase the visibility of our law enforcement officers on our roads, this is yet to yield significant returns in terms of a significant reduction in the number of crashes and loss of life.  

According to Arrive Alive’s 2021 Easter Road Safety and Fatality Statistics figures, 189 crashes were recorded during the Easter weekend, resulting in 235 fatalities nationwide. KwaZulu- Natal recorded the highest number of crashes with 42 crashes and 54 fatalities. This was followed by Gauteng which had 30 crashes resulting in 36 fatalities. Most of these fatalities were because of drunk driving, unsafe overtaking, excessive speed and not adhering to the rules of the road amongst others. 

The high number of road accidents has a significant impact on South African society. This is largely because road accidents hinder socio-economic development while impacting on the well-being of all South Africans. The financial and physical impact of road traffic crashes are not just borne by the individual but by the extended family, society at large, the health sector and the economy of the country. Injuries and deaths, therefore, create a significant financial burden for individuals and families as well as for the health care system. The death of the breadwinner/main income earner, the cost of medical treatment and subsequent loss of a job and/or income resulting from a road crash often have important adverse economic and social consequences on a household. 

According to the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), there were 12 956 deaths on South African roads in 2020 which cost the economy a staggering R176 billion. In the same breath, deadly crashes as a result of alcohol consumption cost the country’s economy R18.2 billion in the same period.  

The Road Accident Fund’s (RAF) 2019/2020 annual report further sheds light on recent RAF payouts. According to the report, the average claim value increased by 21% in the 2019/2020 financial year, compared to the previous year while total claims received by the RAF increased by 3% to R43.2 billion. 

In the face of such alarming road accident statistics, even the South Africa Sustainable Development Goals target to halve the number of deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2020 was not achieved. The country performed poorly and completely missed the target.  

The challenges in addressing road safety in South Africa are primarily those of human behaviour which includes a lack of knowledge of the rules of the road, an unwillingness to abide by these rules, inadequate enforcement and a lack of follow up of fines. This results in the current culture of impunity as seen on our roads. Repeat offenders know that they can get away with transgressions by just paying “cold drink or tjotjo money”. 

Behaviour that results in the safe use of roads is cultivated through proper education during a child’s foundation phase, reinforced through legally earned driver licenses during comprehensive testing and monitored vehicle driving experience even before earning a final license. 

There is a serious need for early and consistent education and awareness campaigns in our communities, increased visibility from our law enforcement officers and road patrols, and greater stakeholder involvement. In addition, there needs to be more roadblocks which entails checking vehicles, issuing traffic fines, and impounding un-roadworthy vehicles. 

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has called for the Gauteng traffic police to be declared an essential service so that they are to provide 24-hour road safety services to the citizens of the province. There is also a need to fully deploy and make use of technology such as body cameras to improve traffic policing and fight corruption on our roads which leads to further carnage.  

Equally, motorists caught driving under the influence of alcohol and those arrested for excessive speeding should face the full might of the law. According to NPO, South Africans Against Drunk Driving, a major issue with law enforcement and ensuring that drunk drivers are dealt with is the under-testing and the conviction rate for drunk driving which is between 2% to 7%. We need to work on ensuring that testing is correctly done and then followed by swift appearances in court for efficient prosecution. For as long as people know that they can drink and drive and not have to bear the consequences, this will remain a serious problem on our roads. No one should be able to get away with placing their lives and those of other road users at risk. 

Driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to wear a seatbelt, excessive speeding, disregarding road conditions and road signs is indicative of negative conduct that contributes to fatalities on our roads. Such loss of life is both unwarranted and preventable. However, achieving reduced road crashes, injuries, and fatalities, will require collective and sustained action from all of us. 

The Democratic Alliance wishes Gauteng residents and those who will be visiting the province a safe and happy Easter holiday. We appeal to everyone to exercise caution and to be considerate on the road. Drivers are additionally urged to rest between long journeys so as not to endanger the lives of other road users. Those who disobey the rules of the road must face the full might of the law.  

400 000 Gauteng motorists will be without valid licenses by end March

The capacity to issue sufficient renewed driver’s licenses in Gauteng is not enough to eradicate the renewal backlog caused by Covid-19.

During the lockdown in 2020 motorists were not able to renew their driver’s licenses and two extensions were granted to renew licenses.

The final deadline for the renewal of licenses that expired during the lockdown period is 31 March 2022.

The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has a capacity to renew 173000 licenses monthly. By the end February we calculated the backlog to be around 423 000 licenses that had yet to be renewed in addition to current licenses that will expire.

Apart from the constrained capacity to renew licenses in Gauteng, licensing centres were also forced to close down for a week after the National Driving School Association South Africa protested against the online driver license booking system and forcibly blocking entrance to Driver’s License Testing Centres (DLTC).

It is estimated that 400 00 Gauteng motorists are likely to be faced with a crisis by the end March as they will be unable to renew their driver’s licenses and will face fines for driving without a valid driver license card. This could also impact on their vehicle insurance.

The introduction of more online transactional services by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) can assist in alleviating the pressure on DLTCs in Gauteng and relieve pressure on the bottlenecks experienced at DLTCs.

However this will not be enough to make the 31 March deadline.

We call on the Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, to provide one last extension for the validity of licenses that expired during Covid-19 so that Gauteng can deal with its backlog.

DA welcomes extension for renewal of driver’s licences

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is ecstatic that our continuous pressure has resulted in the Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula extending the deadline to the end of March 2022 for the renewal of vehicle licences that expired during the 2020 lockdown. 

This means that motorists who could not get slots to renew their licences are now able to remain legally on the road.  

While an extension has been granted, we are calling on motorists to still renew their licences as speedily as possible and not wait until the last minute to do so.  

We will continue to exert pressure on government to increase the capacity at licensing centres so that more motorists can be assisted with renewing their licences.  

Local Government Elections are coming up! Visit check.da.org.za to check your voter registration status. 

Gauteng motorists bleeding more of their money as Mbalula evades e-Toll decision

Gauteng motorists and consumers are still burdened by the unwanted e-Tolls system that increases the cost of doing business in Gauteng as well as that of consumer goods. Considering the damage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and government lockdowns, Gauteng residents need all the help they can get to get by and survive. Scrapping e-Tolls will be a step in the right direction.

The Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, has strung along motorists and consumers in the province since February this year, promising imminent announcements on the future of e-Tolls no less than four times. The last time he made this promise was in May.

It is almost two months since his last deadline of making an announcement and not a peep has been heard from the Minister. Each time he points a finger to Cabinet who needs to make the final decision.

It is clear that Mbalula cannot get an agreement from Cabinet and that he is clearly at loggerheads with his colleagues who seem to be concerned about the cost of scrapping the system.

Mbalula can no longer evade responsibility on e-Tolls and his delaying tactics is causing more suspicion about the government’s intentions to scrap the system. The ANC government is clearly playing for time as the announcement may make things uncomfortable for them on 27 October when the local government elections are scheduled to take place. They clearly do not want to make their decision known before then.

The DA has been at the forefront opposing the e-toll system in Gauteng and we will continue with our campaign to pressurize Mbalula and Cabinet for a decision. I will be working with my colleagues in Parliament to call the government to account on e-Tolls so that we can get a resolution on the matter once and for all.

Local Government Elections are coming up in 2021! Visit check.da.org.za to check your voter registration status.

Gauteng government causing motorists extra insurance costs and unnecessary fines as licensing fiasco continues

Gauteng motorists are frustrated beyond belief due to the licensing renewal fiasco at the province’s licensing centres. In March, MEC for Roads and Transport in Gauteng, Jacob Mamabolo, gave the Portfolio Committee on Roads and Transport in the Gauteng Legislature the undertaking that the problem with booking license renewal slots was to be resolved as a matter of urgency.

However, the problem has only worsened since the MEC’s undertaking. Motorists in the province are not able to make appointments for the renewal of their driver licenses while “agencies” who are getting paid by motorists seem to have access to slots that they sell to motorists.

This is an untenable situation and the MEC needs to come clear immediately about what the problems are with the booking system and why motorists are unable to make their own bookings.

The DA in Gauteng has called on the MEC to conduct an audit of slots made available by licensing centres and whether all these slots made it onto the Natis platform for bookings. The MEC ignored our plea and as a result the problem persists.

The MEC needs to come clean on what the problems are with the online licensing booking system and why motorists cannot access slots to renew their licenses.

We require immediate action by the MEC on the release of licensing slots as the current system is a complete failure. We can no longer put motorists in a position where they have to drive without licenses as it affects their insurance cover and are fined when pulled over by traffic officials.

Local Government Elections are coming up in 2021! Visit check.da.org.za to check your voter registration status.