On Friday, 10 November 2023, the North West Provincial Legislature hosted the Transport Sectoral Parliament.

Transport Sectoral Parliament 2023

On Friday, 10 November 2023, the North West Provincial Legislature hosted the Transport Sectoral Parliament under the theme: “We are building a better Transport Infrastructure to grow South Africa together” at Mmabana Taung in the Great Taung Local Municipality.

The Deputy Speaker of the North West Provincial Legislature, Hon Lena Miga, stated that the objective of the sectoral parliament was to strengthen oversight and accountability on issues affecting transport sector; to promote an understanding of role players in the sector issues and mobilize support for their rights, and to build sustainable stakeholder relations that will deepen participatory democracy.

The focal areas were mainly on challenges regarding, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Infrastructure project, social cohesion on taxi associations, and Rail Transport Infrastructure and mechanisms to address these challenges. Representatives from taxi associations, bus companies, e-hailing services, Traffic Officers, Police officers, the Department of Public works and Roads and the Department of Community Safety and Transport Management all formed part of the event.

Amongst challenges presented by stakeholders was the issue of illegal operating licenses, dilapidated and unmaintained buses and illegal door to door vehicles that hamper profit for legal operators, prioritisation on renovations or upgrading of Taung Taxi Rank, and taxi operators who have five years waiting to operate but are prohibited by other associations not to operate on roads in Orkney, as well poor road infrastructure in the province that taxi and bus operators are forced to use.

The Provincial Chairperson of SANTAGO, Mr Ebusang Tladi stated that it has been more than 10 years the taxi associations have been communicating their challenges to the department without any resolution. He stated that currently the association has managed to get a commitment from the MEC of Community Safety and Transport Management to get a 5 month contract on funding and that performance agreement must be signed to that effect as well as to acquire a 3 year budget contract for both regional and provincial taxi council to eradicate existing violence within the existing taxi associations.

“We need the department to speed up the verification of vehicles and issue out legal operating licenses to taxi associations and also create a viable working relationship with bus operators on routes allocated to them in province,” said Mr Tladi
Mr Molefi Tshwene from the Department of Public Works and Roads stated that certain roads have been prioritised for rehabilitation for this current financial year and that about 4200 potholes have been patched across the province.

The Deputy Speaker of the North West Provincial Legislature, Hon Lena Miga made recommendations that the relevant Department should meet with Taxi Associations and Bus Operators on routes that cause challenges that have been long standing for years and also address issues of safety and maintenance of buses that transports members of the community as well as scholars.

The transport sector plays a pivotal role in relation to the economic spin-offs it brings to the province as a result of the different types of transport infrastructure and the facilities associated with these networks in public and private transport services that operate on them. It was therefore critical for the Legislature to host the Transport Sectoral Parliament to assess the milestones achieved through this sector.

Ends