The Automobile Association (AA) has urged President Cyril Ramaphosa and his advisers to appoint a strong leader to take the baton from outgoing Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula.
Mbalula was recently elected as Secretary General of the ANC at the governing party’s National Executive Conference in December.
“A new appointment in the important transport portfolio is inevitable as Mr Mbalula takes on his new role within the ruling party. We urge Mr Ramaphosa and his advisers to appoint a strong leader in this position, capable of prioritising the needs of citizens who desperately require safe, affordable, efficient, and reliable transport solutions and infrastructure,” the AA said.
The organisation outlined the key issues on which the incoming minister needed to focus to improve road safety in the country. These included:
- Immediate implementation of the Traffic Law Enforcement Review Committee recommendations of 2019 which call for the doubling of the current number of traffic law enforcers on the country’s roads.
- More focus on the immediate implementation of safer vehicle standards (including the mandating of displaying safety ratings of vehicles at point of sale) along with the Department of Trade and Industry.
- Prioritising road offences together with the Department of Justice. Currently, road users flout the rules of the road because of a lack of consequences. For example, only 8% of drivers arrested for drunk driving are prosecuted.
- Ensuring comprehensive, practical, and standardised road safety education is implemented at all schools and throughout all grades.
- Better coordination with the provincial departments of transport and public works to ensure crumbling road infrastructure is maintained, repaired and created where the need exists.
- A stronger focus on resolving public transport issues to make public transport more reliable, affordable, and safe. This includes resolving issues within the Public Rail Agency (Prasa) to ensure this service is safer and more reliable, as well as a re-evaluation of the Patronage Guarantee paid to Bombela, the private firm which operates the Gautrain.
- Proper finalisation of the e-tolls saga in Gauteng.
“There are many other issues which require attention, and the new minister of transport will have a full plate to deal with from day one in the position. For this reason, it is vital that the President and his advisers appoint someone who is not only up to the task of managing such a vast department, but also someone who has the political will to effect meaningful change,” the AA said.
Mbalula’s replacement had not yet been announced at the time of publication.
