Question NW3824 to the Minister of Transport

Reply:

1.(a) SANRAL has been a member of the Permanent International Association of Road Congresses (PIARC) since 1995. PIARC is a non-profit association established in 1909, with over 100 years of existence, with the broad aim of promoting international cooperation and sharing of knowledge on issues related to roads and road transport.

PIARC membership is of real value to South Africa as it enhances South Africa’s international relations and provides an opportunity to share its accumulated knowledge, experience and best practices with other member countries.

SANRAL attended and participated at the Congress, and as a member, SANRAL was allowed to exhibit and showcase its experiences and know-how at the PIARC exhibition. The South African exhibition titled the South African Pavilion was officially opened by the Minister, and attended by 125 representatives from member countries across the globe. It offered a unique to foster cooperation and networking between the main actors of the global road system. The exhibition proved to be extremely informative for member countries.

1.(b) In addition to the exhibition, and attending technical working group meetings, officials from SANRAL attended and participated at the Congress by presenting the following papers: amongst others

1. Progressive approach towards stakeholder management in road construction.
2. Are Advancing Public Transport Systems Inclusive to all Persons Living with a Disability in Africa.
3. Public Private Partnership for weighbridge operations in South Africa.
4. Competency training programme to equip diversifying engineering staff with first principal skills.
5. Road Tunnel Challenges and Success Stories for LMIC.
6. The Role of Road Network Operator for Mobility as a Service Development.

1.(c) The PIARC 27th World Congress took place from 02 – 06 October 2023 in Prague, Czech Republic. The Minister and the Departmental/ Ministry Officials spent four days in Prague.

1.(d) The following include the expected outcomes and/or benefits to the road infrastructure and transportation sector of the Republic of South Africa:

1. Transformation and innovation in the road construction industry, and by extension the public infrastructure development space, which is core to SANRAL and the South African Government’s agenda.
2. Road safety and sustainable design solutions are prioritized in SANRAL projects.
3. South Africa’s commitment to the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021-2030).
4. Pedestrian safety and non-motorised transport (NMT) solutions which are a priority, for the most vulnerable road users and account for the most fatalities on South African roads annually.

2.(a) R 2.52 million.

2.(b) The breakdown of the expenses incurred by SANRAL are:

SANRAL EXPENSES: 29 employees
Item	Costs
Travel including flights and ground transport	R1,421,002.29
Accommodation	R 77,600.00
Any other specified related costs:
Visa costs for private passport holders	R 23,161.96
27th PIARC World Road Congress Registration fees	R 573,255.22
Subsistence and Travel Allowances	R 416,484.13
TWF Management Fees	R 8,359.27
TOTAL	R2,519,863.87