Minister Blade Nzimande: Launch of CSIR Transport Safety Lab

Programme Director;
The Minister of Transport, Ms Barbara Creecy;
The Acting Director General of the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Ms Gugulethu Zwane;
CSIR CEO, Dr Thulani Dlamini;
Members of the CSIR's executive leadership;
Officials from my Department and other government departments;
Representatives of universities and other academic institutions;
Members of the media:
Ladies and gentlemen;

It is an honour for me to address you today on this important occasion-the launch of the Transport Safety Lab. I am also pleased with the diverse group of stakeholders attending this event and the prospect of deepening formal collaborations.

On Tuesday, I was here at the CSIR as part of our my programmme to interact with the all the entities that report to the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation.

I must say, even though I am familiar with the work of the CSIR, Tuesday's visit reinforced my belief that the CSIR is without doubt one of our country's most important public science institutions.
During my visit on Tuesday, I also told the leadership of the CSIR that, the wonderful work that is being done by the CSIR and the other entities under our Department, will gain greater government and public appreciation if we make an extraordinary effort to communicate our work with greater vigour and purpose, to the public and the country.

Today's launch is important in a number of respects. First, it is held in October, which as you know is recognised as Transport Month. During this month, we as government raise awareness about our country's efforts to advance road safety and the economic benefits that exist in the transport sector.

Second, today's event is also special because I am former Minister of Transport and it warms my heart to see how the work that I am doing in my current portfolio, supports the work that is being done by the Department of Transport, under the leadership of Minister Barbara Creesy.

As government, all our efforts and interventions are guided by our National Development Plan (NDP), which as you know serves as our country's long-term vision, outlining the work that needs to be done to achieve a prosperous and thriving South Africa by 2030.

At the heart of the NDP, are the objectives of reducing poverty, unemployment, inequality and building a capable state, all of which find expression in government's Medium Term Development Plan, as articulated by President Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa, at the recent opening of Parliament.
In pursuit of the core objectives of the NDP, over the last few years, government has made significant strides in enhancing our country's transport sector, through among others, legislative and policy measures aimed at improving infrastructure, safety, and sustainability.

For instance, state-owned entities, such as Transnet, SANRAL, and PRASA and RTMC, continue to play a vital role in enhancing our transport infrastructure and coordination, driving a more competitive future for the sector.

To enable the work of these public entities, the National Transport Master Plan, approved by the cabinet in 2016, aims to create a more integrated and efficient transport system across the country.

Safety is also a major focus, highlighted by initiatives like the Arrive Alive and Make Roads Safe campaigns, which work to reduce road fatalities and improve traffic regulation enforcement.

With that said, science, technology and innovation are tools that many developed nations use to enhance their productivity and development. Today, we launch a facility which will employ these tools to foster the safe and efficient movement of people and goods across South Africa.

In my view, the CSIR Transport Safety Lab initiative can make at least three key contributions to help us improve our transport sector.

• Firstly, it will decrease the number of deaths and injuries on our roads by improving the design, maintenance, and effectiveness of infrastructure such as intersections, barriers, guardrails, and safe pedestrian crossings.
• Secondly, through its research on human factors, it will help us better understand the behaviour of South African drivers and pedestrians, informing our decisions on necessary innovations.
• Thirdly, through research that evaluates vehicle safety features, the initiative will enable us to manufacture improved vehicles.

The sustainability and relevance of any technology or policy intervention also depends on the extent to which it addresses basic human needs. For this reason, the issue of safe and efficient transportation cannot be separated with from the issues of transport poverty and spatial planning.

Access to safe and reliable transport continues to be a big concern for most of our citizens. In fact, a huge portion of the income of households continues to be spent on transport.

Further to this, the legacy of apartheid spatial planning continues to hinder the capacity of individuals and households to access economic and educational opportunities.

Many of our citizens are still forced to travel long distances or away from their areas of residence, just so they can access economic opportunities or educational opportunities.

Interventions like the one we are launching here today should, among others, help us reduce the inordinate amount of time that individuals spend traveling over long distances in search of opportunities or unnecessarily spending hours stuck in traffic.

This, as you know, has a profoundly negative impact on the productivity of our economy. Therefore, the development of safe, reliant and efficient must also help us to address the issues of transport poverty, the apartheid geography and of course, energy efficiency.

Increasing access to safe and reliable transport and enhancing the movement of goods and services will not just enhance the productivity of our economy, but it will also enable more citizens to have better access to economic and educational opportunities.

In conclusion, it is encouraging to see our entities like the CSIR aligning their research priorities with the priorities of the government's Medium Term Development Plan.

As Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, I believe this is one of the ways of ensuring that we place science at the centre of govemment's work and society and will be working with the other entities of our Department to ensure that we main this approach to our research priorities.

Congratulations to the CSIR and all its partners, on this groundbreaking initiative. It is my sincere hope that the CSIR Transport Safety Lab will grow and become a platform for collaboration among stakeholders, contributing to our country's transport sector and, ultimately, our people's lives.

Thank you.

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