and transport operators all geared up for Car Free Day
19 October 2006
Landmark Intergovernmental Transport Charter to be launched at Park
Station
Car Free Day will see Gauteng MEC for Public Transport, Roads and Works, Mr
Ignatius Jacobs, and two chairpersons of portfolio committees, Member of
parliament (MPL) Steward Ngwenya and Mbongeni Radebe, using a lift club and
public transport to get to the Hector Petersen Memorial Square and then to the
Johannesburg Inner City, on a programme starting at 07h00, tomorrow morning.
They will also be joined by Member of the Mayoral Committee, of the City of
Johannesburg, Councillor Rehana Mosajee, to the launch of the Intergovernmental
Transport Charter, at Park Station. This charter is a product of months of hard
work and co-operation between local and provincial spheres of government.
In a strong show of support for Transport Month and Car Free Day, many
public transport operators also unveiled new changes and customer friendly
additions to their services, at a media conference, held yesterday. The
following support programmes were unveiled by operators:
Metrobus has intensified customer service training for all staff, especially
drivers and will also launch new buses, on the 24th of October.
Metrorail:
* the service has been reassigned i.e. there will be more trains at peak
hours, and this will be launched on 19 October
* elderly programme: trip to Pretoria National Zoo
* train surfing: steps to be taken curb this dangerous practice, parents have
also been approached by Metrorail and asked to play a role in educating their
children
* express train to be launched between Soweto and Park Station, starting on the
20 October 2006
* cell phone communication for commuters to be launched on the 19 October,
enabling commuters to receive passenger information on their phones
* a tourist service will also be launched, soon.
Southern African Bus Operators Association (SABOA):
* bicycles to be donated to school kids
* the association also involved in the transportation of learners to career
advice and training centres
Taxi Associations:
* taxis to comply with High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV) lanes
* 68 taxis free of charge to assist with park and ride
* suggestion boxes and a website have been launched
* drivers and marshals to been mobilised to support the campaign and to treat
commuters with courtesy.
Provincial Meter Taxi Associations:
* involved in an initiative to get members to adhere to traffic law
enforcement
* committee established in conjunction with the South Africa Bureau of
Standards (SABS) and the Department of Transport, in a bid to improve meter
taxi services
* also engaging car manufactures in a "Meter Taxi Recap Programme," including
the reintroduction of meters in vehicles, so as to ensure that the service
becomes fair and equitable to commuters and operators.
It is also expected that initiatives such as these will lay a firm
foundation for the people of Gauteng to prepare the province's public transport
system to deal with thousands of soccer lovers in 2009 (during the
Confederations Cup), and 2010, when the country hosts the F�d�ration
Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup.
Enquiries:
Alfred Nhlapo
Tel: (011) 355 7532
Cell: 083 376 8496
Issued by: The Department of Public Transport, Roads and Works, Gauteng
Provincial Government
19 October 2006
