Pretoria news Online
Monday, November 20, 2006
November 20, 2006 Edition 1
Cornelia du Plooy
South African Communist Party members painted the town red at the weekend when they took to the streets in a bid for a "safe, affordable and accessible public transport system".
The SACP drive for better public transport and road safety forms part of its Red October campaign. About 1 000 members marched from Church Square to the Department of Transport offices in Struben Street to hand over a memorandum of demands.
Other stakeholders, including the ANC, Cosatu and Sanco joined in the march.
The sharpest criticism was aimed at the Integrated Transport Plans (ITP) produced by metros and municipalities across the country.
"It has not been a fully consultative process. Communities have been excluded. It has been reduced to a few bureaucrats and consultants who continue to drain our government (of) millions and millions of rands," they said, demanding a fully consultative and people-driven review of "existing ITPs and the drafting of ITPs that do not exist".
Other demands included a call on government to draw up a Commuters' Charter to set out the rights of all South Africans to safe, affordable, accessible and efficient public transport.
Safety on roads and on trains was also on the agenda. "We are calling for speed limits in areas where there is high pedestrian activity and effective road traffic enforcement," they said. In terms of security, the SACP urged the SAPS to speed up the training and rollout of safety and security officials at all stations, taxi ranks and other public transport points.
SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande said the party and its allies also called for sustainable funding for public transport and public transport infrastructure.
"We also call for a major review of the taxi recapitalisation programme," he said.
"There had to be a thorough consultative conference with the taxi industry aimed at reaching a consensus, he added.
Cosatu provincial chairman Phutas Tseki said he was confident the Transport Minister would respond favourably to their demands. Nzimande handed over the memorandum to an official.