Question NW973 to the Minister of Transport
24 April 2023 - NW973
Nolutshungu, Ms N to ask the Minister of Transport
(1)(a)(i) What are the details around the Public Utility Transport Corporation Bus Services monthly subsidy and (ii) how is it monitored and (b) what mechanism has been put in place to monitor all subsidised services, in terms of the (i) total number of passenger trips, (ii) subsidies paid to the service provider and (iii) overloading; (2) whether the buses are properly serviced in terms of the manufacturer’s requirements and/or prescriptions; if not, why not in each case; if so, what (a) is the condition of the buses and (b) are the reasons that the buses travel empty and/or with less than 10% of the bus capacity?
Reply:
1. (a) (i) PUTCO provides public transport services to people living mainly in low income areas in Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces through various interim and tendered contracts concluded with the provincial departments. The company is paid subsidy through the Public Transport Operations Grant as per the table hereunder:
(ii) The contracts have requirements and specifications that the company complies with in terms of the above-mentioned contracts. Contracts compliance is monitored either through the Supervision and Monitoring Firms appointed by provinces or inhouse through the designated officials.
(b) (i) The contracts provide for the outsourcing of the monitoring responsibilities to the Supervision and Monitoring Firms or the performance of the function inhouse through the designated internal officials who monitor the operations on a daily basis. These monitors enforce compliance with timetables and certify the correctness of the payment certificates/claims and deduct penalties for non-performance levied before recommending for the payment of the claims.
(ii) As per b (i) above
(iii) Buses carry certified number of seated and standing passengers and law enforcement deals with the overloading where it occurs.
2. (a) Buses used on these contracts have to comply with the relevant vehicle requirements and fitness in terms of the Road Traffic Act and get inspected regularly as monitors require reports in this regard.
(b) Contracts trips are required to carry the required number of passengers and are monitored before variation and/or cancellation is proposed and implemented.