Mev die Speaker, vir meer as 30 jaar bestaan daar 'n spoorweg in Atlantis wat weinig in gebruik is en nooit aan di gemeenskap se pendelaars `n diens gelewer het nie. Ten spyte daarvan is die mense sonder eie vervoer nog steeds van taxis afhanklik om na Kaapstad en ander areas te reis. Hulle moet wag tot die voorgestelde 17 passasiers die taxis vul voordat dit kan vertrek, terwyl die busdienste volgens geskeduleerde tye ry, en werkers daag dus altyd laat by hul werkplekke op. Na ons lang voorbiddings en pleidooie wat aan die Minister van Vervoer gerig is, het ons uiteindelik konsensus bereik. Die spoorlyn tussen Kaapstad en Atlantis sal binnekort vir diens gereaktiveer word. Ons is ook verseker van tussenstasies wat tot stand gebring sal word. Verder is ons ook verseker van 'n dienslaan vir busse en taxis op die R27, of Weskuspad, wat voor 2010 voltooi sal word. Namens die bre gemeenskap van Atlantis, wat Mamre, Witsand, Dunoon, Melkbos, Duynefontein en Parklands sowel as die bre gemeenskap van Blouberg insluit, wil ons graag ons hartlike dank teenoor die Minister van Vervoer, die Premier van die Wes-Kaap, en aan die LUR vir vervoer en openbare dienste uitspreek wat ons noodkreet gehoor het. Die spoorlyn en nuwe bus- en taxibaan sal definitief verligting verskaf vir die slakkepas wat ons op di roete ondervind.
Dit is baie duidelik dat ons leiers in die ANC bereid is om te luister en aan ons mense se vereistes te voldoen. Di twee projekte sal nie net die vervoer se slakkepas verlig nie, maar ek is daarvan oortuig dat dit ook werkverskaffing en ekonomiese ontwikkeling in veral Atlantis en omgewing sal bespoedig. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans member's statement follows.)
[Mr J D ARENDSE (ANC): Madam Speaker, for more than 30 years there is a railway track in Atlantis which has hardly been used and never delivered a service to the commuters of this community. Despite this, those who do not have their own transport are still dependent on taxis to travel to Cape Town or other areas. They have to wait until the required 17 passengers fill the taxi before it can depart, while the bus services run as per scheduled times, and consequently workers always arrive late at their places of employment.
After our long intercessions and appeals to the Minister of Transport, we have finally reached consensus. The railway track between Cape Town and Atlantis will shortly be reactivated into service. We have also been assured that intermediate stations will be established. In addition we have also been assured of a service lane for buses and taxis on the R27 or the West Coast Road, which will be completed before 2010. On behalf of the broader community of Atlantis which includes Mamre, Witsand, Dunoon, Melkbos, Duynefontein and Parklands as well as the broader community of Blouberg, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Minister of Transport, the Premier of the Western Cape, and the MEC for Transport and Public Works who heeded our calls. The railway track and new bus and taxi lane will definitely bring relief to the snail-pace traffic which we experience on this route.
It is very clear that our leaders in the ANC are willing to listen and meet the needs of our people. These two projects will not only bring relief to the snail's pace of the traffic, but I am convinced that this will also accelerate job creation and economic development, especially in Atlantis and the surrounding areas. Thank you.]