Keynote address delivered by the MEC of Roads, Transport and Logistics, Ms. Kedibone Diale-Tlabela on the occasion of the launch of the COVID-19 Household Travel Survey Results held at the CISR ICC in Tshwane on the 23rd october 2022
Programme Director;
HOD and staff of the department CEO and staff of the CSIR;
The CSIR team of researchers that worked on the project;
All guests present here today;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
I greet you all warmly.
I also bring greetings from the Provincial Executive led by our Premier, Ntate Panyaza Lesufi
As you are aware, we assumed office just over two weeks ago and had to hit the ground running. We are thankful for the warm welcome and support from the legislature, the department, key stakeholders, and the broad transport family.
I am passionate about research as a tool for decision-making and planning. This launch is my first public event of the department and its partners, in this case the CSIR, and I am very happy to be here, and thankful to all who organized this and all who contributed to the research report.
I will not deal with everything in my keynote address, but allow me to say that;
There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic and associated responses by the South African government had an impact on household travel patterns.
Therefore, it is of utmost importance for us to have evidence- based and well-researched information about household travel patterns to help us better understand the interaction between households and transport service delivery.
Our Smart Mobility 2030 vision requires a government that is agile and responsive to societal changes. The quality of government response is also critically dependent on evidence-led interventions.
It is in this context that the Department of Roads and Transport in collaboration with Centre for the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) conducted a survey to critically look at the short to long term impact of COVID-19 on mobility in the province.
The survey results supplement the results of the 2019/2020 Household Travel Survey that was completed just before the initial lockdown restrictions.
The results will help us plan better to address some of the transport challenges facing our people across the City Region.
Furthermore, the insights contained in the survey are a crucial basis for enhancement of our public transport system and assist in building efficient transport institutions that will be beneficial to motorists and residents.
The results indicates that the province is recovering to pre- pandemic levels and that the structure of the travel demand remains largely the same. However, the volume of travel for some travel purposes remains relatively subdued.
The survey was aimed at a sample of 363 households, spread throughout the Sedibeng District Municipality. It resulted in a weighted total of 330 828 households.
The data included information on households; people in households; trips taken by people in households; mode of transport used by individuals in households; and individual perceptions regarding future travel.
Indications are that the structure of household travel will stay mostly unchanged post-COVID-19 in the Sedibeng region.
Notably, private cars and commuter taxis continue to be essential modes of transport with private cars remaining a dominant mode of travel for all purposes both before and during COVID-19. Busses accounted for very low trips before and during COVID-19.
Other modes that will carry substantial trips for work, education, shopping, and medical purposes in future are the busses, commuter taxis and walking all the way.
Indications are that while the structure of trips remains largely the same, travel volumes for some trip purposes have changed. The volume of recreational trips, for example, has reduced. Other trip purposes such as seeking health services, experienced a marginal increase.
Overall, the peak intensity has reduced, and off-peak travel has marginally increased. However, the recovery trajectory may soon dwarf the subdued travel demand.
This requires that planning authorities in the province should continue with the implementation of road network, public transport, and integrated transport plans that they had before the COVID-19 outbreak.
Furthermore, higher capacity vehicles such as trains, Gautrain and busses were less utilised and accounted for less than 4% of trips for each trip purpose. The decline in the use of the high-capacity public transport services is concerning.
Results shows that spatial planning and settlement patterns in the province are not taking advantage of high-capacity public transport modes. These findings will assist with planning and strengthening capacity in local government, set clear targets across the province as well as improve mechanisms to implement legislation.
This is a clarion call for all of us to continuously review the frequency and density of higher capacity public transport modes to respond to changing travel patterns. The province will continue to work with local government bodies to ensure that the results of the survey inform their responsibilities as planning authorities.
The survey results further reveals that the number of people who walked all the way for work purposes increased by 4.4% during COVID-19 when compared to before COVID-19.
Whilst it is encouraging that society in the province aspires to using non-motorised transport modes, this tells us that our efforts to improve the provision of non-motorised transport infrastructure should be prioritised to improve transport service delivery.
Investment in better non-motorised transport infrastructure is necessary. This is one of the key areas requiring government support and intervention and crucial for our strategy of making Gauteng the City region of Smart mobility. Reducing reliance on cars for mobility will also assist us in reducing traffic congestion and improving the environment.
The survey results also indicate that there was no notable change in departure time and trip duration for the different trip purposes before and during COVID-19. Morning, peak, off- peak and afternoon peaks in the province will likely stay as they were prior to COVID-19.
Future travel perspectives shows that a large proportion of people will continue to work full time at a workplace – 62.4% of workers will likely continue working at a workplace.
The statistical analysis confirm that most people will continue to travel to work, education, shopping and medical purposes using the same methods they used prior to COVID-19.
The results of the survey are in line with the Gauteng City Region Observatory’s latest Quality of Life Survey Report which showed some significant changes to transport patterns because of Covid-19.
The Quality of Life Survey Report showed a drop in percentage of people travelling to work, to look for work and to places of study compared to previous studies. The survey also reported that one in four respondents feels either a bit or very unsafe waiting for and using public transport.
The significance of the survey is that it is a strategic feed into the work that we do and will help us with insights that we will use for our integrated public transport planning.
Therefore, in line with our Smart Mobility Vision, long-term road network plans in the province should continue.
Investment in public transport, non-motorised transport and travel demand management measures should also continue.
Transport infrastructure projects will need to play a catalytic role in ensuring that mobility is safe and efficient in our province.
Our Smart Mobility 2030 strategy requires that the province invest in appropriate technology to enable government and society to plan and respond better to system shocks such as pandemics.
As such, the Department has established the Transport Authority of Gauteng (TAG) as the single centre of accountability for Public Transport in the Province.
TAG will oversee Public Transport Norms and Standards across the Gauteng City Region, ensuring quality of service for commuters and the integration of public transport systems.
It will be executing these objectives in collaboration with the three spheres of government, research institutions, the private sector, academia and not-for-profit organisations. These efforts will ensure that the commuters of Gauteng are provided with quality public transport that is integrated and standardised.
Through TAG, we are working Gauteng on the Move concept– a smart integrated public transport system that is identifiable, with prequalified quality and a known level of service.
The Gauteng on the Move identifier emblem will appear on all public transport modes that have gone through rigorous inspection by TAG and integrated into the broader public transport system.
The efforts of the provincial staff and the CSIR to carry out a survey of this kind are acknowledged.
I would also like to thank the many Gauteng households who welcomed us into their homes under very difficult circumstances.
It is time to roll up our sleeves and Grow Gauteng Together Through Smart Mobility.
I thank you all.
