Enhancing regulatory capacity in the transport sector: status and developments

Abstract

Paper presented at the 20th Annual South African Transport Conference 16 - 20 July 2001 "Meeting the transport challenges in Southern Africa", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa. ABSTRACT: The ongoing economic reforms and the accompanying momentum of liberalisation and privatisation of the state owned enterprises in the transport sector, globally and in SADC in particular, has created many challenges. One of the most important challenge is to redefine the role of Governments and establish new effective and facilitative structures for enabling the creation of the necessary regulatory environment needed to secure the anticipated sector efficiency and best practices. As a result of these reforms, many more competing and complementary players have emerged and are still emerging, in terms of participation in investment and provision of services in the transport sector. In this situation, just as is in many ball games where many teams and players are involved, adequate, good and impartial “referees ”–regulators -are needed in order to avoid possible chaos or a major breakdown in the sector development and/or services. This paper reviews the progress so far made and impending developments in establishing and capacity building of requisite regulatory services in the new competitive environment in the SADC transport sector.