The Portfolio Committee on Transport has noted with appreciation the annual performance plan presented today by the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL).
The committee Chairperson, Mr Donald Selamolela, welcomed the fact that SANRAL appears to understand its mandate and has shown resilience in the face of budget cuts. ‘The committee appreciates the work this entity is doing and is among the model entities to be proud of in our portfolio. We appreciate that the targets seem to be correctly set and are achievable,’ Mr Selamolela said.
In the presentation, SANRAL said that it is establishing five additional offices in order to have a geographic footprint in all the provinces. Accordingly, it has taken over the maintenance of over 3 078 kilometres of road infrastructure from provinces.
SANRAL also mentioned the challenges posed by the overuse of and overreliance on national roads for goods that could be transported by rail. Other challenges relate to the engineering of network to respond to climate ch
ange and securing dedicated funding for repairing potholes.
Mr Selamolela said the committee remains concerned about the disruptions caused by extortionists, who demand protection fees and a percentage of the project funding. He added, ‘SANRAL must and will continue to do well and implement projects.’
The committee also sent its deepest condolences to the families and friends of all those who passed away in road accidents over the weekend, particularly the recent accident in KwaZulu-Natal. ‘Road fatalities are one aspect we believe a decent and well-maintained roads network will improve on, although driver attitude remains a critical issue,’ said Mr Selamolela.
The committee also agreed to revive the Merchant Shipping Bill aimed at restoring the merchant shipping component of the maritime transport sector.
Source: Parliament of South Africa