Step forward, then back in transport
Mmegi Editor | Friday April 4, 2014 12:06
Far too often, government departments operate like the proverbial Jekyll and Hyde, eliciting an endless cycle of joy, grief and dismay in citizens. Partly because departments and their actions are, essentially, a product of the composite of humans within them, they tend to suffer the human paradox of being both agreeable and disappointing in turns.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications appears to excel in this particular paradox. As a ministry with an intimately public mandate, the organ has breathed hot and cold in recent years, withdrawing the popular public passenger train service, while also promoting vehicle ownership and driving abilities through unfettered used vehicle imports and a 24-hour turnaround for driving theory tests.
This week, the ministry announced that it would soon pass regulations requiring long distance buses to install toilets, while also pursuing the reintroduction of the passenger rail service.
The ministry also delighted segments of the private sector by announcing the decentralisation of all its vehicle maintenance services such that line ministries may now repair and maintain at private garages and dealerships. While the above measures represent the tip of the iceberg of the sectoral demands on the transport ministry, they have been warmly received as indicative of a progressive ministry with its finger on the pulse. However, pats on backs were muted by the reminder of the ministry’s slow progress in addressing other pressing matters such as ongoing congestion in urban areas, poor quality of road assets and their slow development. Regardless of whether local authorities are responsible for part of the road assets or have oversight on issues such as congestion, the ministry is ultimately the policy and decision-maker in these matters.In fact, it has been argued by some local authorities, that the faltering devolution of power from the parent ministry over their roads has not been accompanied by adequate funding or policy control. The country’s vehicle population, measured at more than 217 per 1,000, is among the highest in the developing world and, to an extent, indicative of the middle-income economy.
It would, however, appear that in the same way that energy ministry authorities were caught flat-footed by the power crisis of 2008, the transport ministry has failed to keep pace with the upswing in the vehicle population and has been slow to respond. In fact, it could be argued that policies such as removing the passenger train, speeding up drivers’ licences and freeing up used vehicle imports all act to balloon the vehicle population.
The trouble is that the ministry does not yet appear to have a cogent approach to the “output” side of its policy actions. As inspired as the ministry is in some of its initiatives and interventions, it is clear that a more integrated and comprehensive approach to policymaking is needed.
Today’s thought
“Good is the enemy of great. The vast majority of organizations never become great, precisely because the vast majority become quite good – and that is the main problem.”
- Jim Collins